U.S. Must Rebuild Entire Maritime 'System,' Not Just Shipyards, Warns Maritime Administrator

In a stark warning, U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel has declared that the United States must 'rebuild an entire maritime ecosystem' in order to regain its standing as a global maritime power, going beyond simply expanding shipyard capacity. Carmel's comments, reported by gCaptain, come as the Biden administration has made strengthening the U.S. maritime industry a key priority. The Administrator argued that the U.S. must take a holistic approach, addressing issues across the entire supply chain rather than focusing solely on shipbuilding. 'It's not just about the shipyards,' Carmel stated. 'It's about the entire maritime system - the ports, the intermodal connections, the workforce, the regulatory environment, the financing, the R&D, the innovation. All of that has to be rebuilt.' The U.S. has struggled to maintain a robust domestic maritime industry in recent decades, with the number of U.S.-flagged vessels declining precipitously. Carmel warned that rebuilding this capacity will require a concerted, long-term effort across multiple fronts. 'This is not something that's going to happen overnight,' he said. 'This is a generational challenge that's going to take time, resources, and sustained focus to get right.' Carmel's comments underscore the scale of the task facing policymakers as they seek to revitalize the U.S. maritime sector. With global supply chains under strain and geopolitical tensions rising, the stakes for getting this right have never been higher.