• WASHINGTON -The Trump administration’s plans for a “Maritime Golden Age” hinges on bolstering the US shipbuilding industry -which has lagged behind China - and boosting US-built and flagged ships for global commerce, according to its newMaritime Action Plan. • The plan, which comes just after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched his “Arsenal of Freedom” tour last month calling for a reinvigoration of the US industrial base and shipbuilding,was released Friday and proposes establishingMaritime Prosperity Zonesto encourage investment in new waterfront communities separate from the traditional coastal shipyards. • Likewise, these zones would receive certain regulatory relief, according to the plan. • The administration and lawmakers have previously suggested regions like the Great Lakes that have a track record ofhosting shipbuildersfor these communities. • “The Great Lakes are already home to shipbuilders, manufacturers, steel producers, casting and forging, and maritime industry suppliers,” a bipartisan group of lawmakers said in a letter to the White House in December. • “Additionally, efforts are underway to connect industry leaders in the Great Lakes and develop a shipbuilding consortium for organized and strategic collaboration.
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