Trump memo pushes foreign investment to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity

President Donald Trump issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum acknowledging the United States' inability to build and repair ships fast enough for its fleet. The directive instructs the Department of War to use a Finland-style approach, allowing allied shipyards to produce the initial vessels of a class overseas only if they commit to building or acquiring U.S. facilities, training American workers, and establishing a domestic supply chain.

It calls for a fifth public Navy shipyard—potentially in Alabama or Florida—to broaden geographic capacity, a centralized repair center for submarines, and a restructuring of Naval Sea Systems Command to improve accountability. The memo highlights chronic delays in carrier programs, such as the Gerald R. Ford class, which take 12-15 years from procurement to delivery. By leveraging South Korean shipbuilders and the $150 billion MASGA initiative, the plan seeks to inject foreign capital, expertise, and production lines into American shipyards, while Congress must fund the effort through FY2027 defense appropriations.