Rep. Young Kim Leads FLEETS Now Act to Counter China’s Grip on Global Shipbuilding and Restore U.S. Maritime Dominance

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40) introduced the Facilitating Leadership and Expertise through Exchange and Training in Shipbuilding (FLEETS) Now Act to counter China’s unfair shipbuilding practices and rebuild America’s maritime industry. China controls over 50 percent of the global shipbuilding industry, funneling that revenue directly into the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) naval buildup. The FLEETS Now Act counters this threat by strengthening U.S. shipbuilding capacity, ensuring maritime regulations reflect American interests, aligning US departments and agencies to work more efficiently together, and bolstering partnerships with trusted allies to restore American competitiveness at sea. “The Chinese Communist Party has spent decades rigging the global shipbuilding market, converting billions in foreign revenue into their own military, and hollowing out American maritime capacity,” said Rep. Young Kim. “That ends today. An America First economy means American ships, American workers, and American strength on land and at sea in partnership with our trusted allies. The FLEETS Now Act takes direct aim at Beijing’s chokehold by rebuilding our shipbuilding base and ensuring the United States—not China—sets the course for global commerce and security.” “American Samoa stands alone, far from the rest of the country. We rely on international shipping companies for everyday items that many Americans take for granted,” said Rep. Radewagen. “Expanding the ability for the United States to purchase ships built by friendly countries can promote the safety and prosperity of our island home.” If we’re serious about countering the PRC and securing our supply chains, we need to lead again on the seas. America’s maritime strength has been allowed to erode while the Chinese Communist Party has aggressively expanded its shipbuilding dominance. Stronger domestic shipbuilding capacity and targeted actions on bad actors in the region will restore American competitiveness and rebuild a critical workforce that once powered communities here at home,” said Congressman Mike Lawler. Specifically, the FLEETS Now Act will bolster U.S. shipbuilding capacities by: Creating a single shipbuilding czar to lead America’s shipbuilding renaissance; Authorizing an Assistant Secretary for Water, Environment, and Space Affairs to spearhead maritime diplomacy and shipbuilding coordination at the U.S. State Department; Rebuilding America’s shipbuilding base and workforce by expanding domestic capacity, attracting allied investment, and facilitating educational exchange and ship construction collaboration; Placing maritime investigators in U.S. diplomatic posts abroad to identify unfair shipping practices, denial of port-of-entry to U.S. vessels, and any anticompetitive activity. Ensuring US interests are protected inside the UN’s International Maritime Organization’s, eliminating the Net-Zero Framework that imposes unrealistic and burdensome carbon taxes globally. Read bill text HERE .