Page 31: of Marine News Magazine (May 2026)

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Shipbuilding

U.S. Commercial Fleet

It is the fact that both State and Federal governments never understood the importance of shipping and shipbuilding. And with that never properly funded it through several previous Administrations to match the global capability. Long story short, our ability to compete with China is long gone.

By Bob Kunkel, Amtech s a vessel construction debate whether it be Persian Gulf, U.S. manager with extended Gulf, Venezuela or Northwest passage. building experience in Markets and energy aside, the rhetoric

A both the U.S. and South is now based upon an aggressive move-

Korea, more than several opportuni- ment to reestablish U.S Shipbuilding. ties have landed on our desks as Pri- The U.S. chaos builds upon the es- vate Equity and Venture Capital ana- calating cost of gasoline products. The lyze tanker tonnage and construction spike has reached into chemical trades

AND in the domestic trades. With the un- both wet and dry, industrial manu- derstanding these requests are based facturing, steel and household goods. upon the current Persian Gulf and As Amtech, we recently traded caustic

Venezuela issues driving that market soda to the largest Aluminum Smelter

CHORED we should also pay attention to the in Saudi Arabia on one of our man- 2027 Maritime budget that allocates aged chemical ships trapped in the Per- $1.5 trillion dollars for overall Na- sian Gulf. Primarily used in the Bayer tional Security and $65.8 billion set Process to re? ne bauxite ore into alu-

BY THE aside for U.S. Navy Shipbuilding. mina, caustic soda acts as a solvent to

Our domestic ? eet is also tagged “Na- dissolve aluminum-bearing minerals tional Security” and there is no doubt at high temperatures, separating them a surge will occur in U.S. Gulf petro- from impurities like iron oxide and leum movements. The world is grasp- the Saudi factory was in need of caus-

NTER’S ing at where and how to move product tic soda to manage the smelter. Recent ranging from crude to jet fuel and you attacks by Iranian drones damaged the can bet “National Security” will be the facility and production stopped. Gas tag line. Our domestic oil and chemi- prices aside, watch the effect on alu-

AY GUN cal markets are not exempt from those minum costs with this massive closure. concerns. We are deep into the global The short story is not all about energy.