Reviving the shipbuilding industry has been a priority of the Trump 2.0 administration. A notable effort among many others, in April 2025, President Trump signed an executive order on “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance”, mandating a comprehensive and inter-agency approach with 15 broad measures.
The underlying drivers can be drawn from both domestic and structural levels of analysis. The U.S. must urgently deal with multiple problems with its shipbuilding industry, including a declining shipbuilding base, workforce shortages, reliance on foreign supply chains and regulation barriers. At the same time, China’s emergence as the world’s leading shipbuilder, supported by military-civil fusion, massive state financing, and a vast skilled labor force, has significantly narrowed the maritime power gap, contributing to the US sense of threat. Global industrial shifts, particularly the concentration of capacity in East Asia and the rise of digitalized shipyards, further intensify the U.S.’s sense of vulnerability and strategic competition.
These measures are likely to reshape the global maritime landscape. They will accelerate the U.S.-China contest for influence at sea, drive a new cycle of naval modernization in the Indo-Pacific, and disrupt established supply chains. Allies and partners may gain from redirected investment and technological transfer as the U.S. seeks alternatives to China, but they will also confront greater exposure to maritime disputes and commercial frictions.
Vietnam stands at a pivotal point in this transformation. By modernizing its supporting industries, upgrading port infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of its workforce, the country could seize opportunities to integrate more deeply into restructured supply chains. However, without timely adaptation and strategic foresight, Vietnam risks being marginalized and facing heightened pressures amid the intensifying rivalry between the U.S. and China.
