Eight U.S. Senators call on Trump to establish Great Lakes shipbuilding Maritime Prosperity Zones

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U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) have led a group of their colleagues in calling on President Trump to ensure that implementation of his Executive Order “Restoring America’s Shipbuilding Dominance” strengthens and revitalizes the Great Lakes shipbuilding industry. Specifically, the senators are calling on the Trump Administration to establish Maritime Prosperity Zones in regions outside the traditional coastal shipbuilding centers, including the Great Lakes.

In addition to Senators Young and Baldwin, the letter is also co-signed by Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

“We share your goal of a revitalized shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing industry and believe that the hardworking people and dynamic economies of the Great Lakes region will be essential to achieving it,” wrote the senators. “The Great Lakes are already home to shipbuilders, manufacturers, steel producers, casting and forging, and maritime industry suppliers. In many ways, the Great Lakes states are well positioned for sustained national investment that would build on the current shipbuilding and manufacturing capacity in the region.”

In the letter, the senators lay out a 5-point recommendation plan for the Trump Administration to take into consideration when establishing Maritime Prosperity Zones.

Define Great Lakes Prosperity Zones by activity

By using an industry reference rather than geography, shipyards, their suppliers, and customers engaged in the maritime industry, as well as their educational and training partners, will benefit from Great Lakes Prosperity Zones. By doing so, the focus of Great Lakes Prosperity Zones is on the shipyard and related port, manufacturing and educational industries, not specific neighborhoods that happen to overlap with shipyards. This approach assures a common application of prosperity zones across the Great Lakes without winners and losers based on geographic location and encourages emerging or resurgent shipyards and related activities currently not operational.

Support the creation of a Great Lakes shipbuilding consortium

Shipyards, steel producers, and manufacturing suppliers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana have the capacity and workforce to build Navy and Coast Guard vessels, icebreakers, commercial ferries, and maritime security craft. Groups of shipyards and their Great Lakes-based supply chain partners are forming a Great Lakes Shipbuilding Consortium to collaborate on modular construction of U.S. government vessels. We recommend commissioning and funding a study led by the Consortium to facilitate investments in infrastructure, workforce, and technology.

Support public and private investment into shipyards, ports, supply chain modernization and industrial technology

The maritime industry, including many of the suppliers that serve U.S. shipyards—like metal fabricators, casting and forging, and engine component manufacturers—operate with aging equipment and limited capital. While the U.S. capital markets and general economy are the best source for funding the maritime sector, the White House should continue federal investments, like MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program and the Port Development Infrastructure Program. It should also explore additional mechanisms to support the industry, especially small and mid-sized manufacturers. Strengthening our supplier base is key to scaling up ship production and maintaining a resilient and surge-capable industrial ecosystem.

Create the conditions for sustained success

To effectively establish Great Lakes Prosperity Zones, the administration should streamline and increase competition in military new construction and repair contracting procedures. We recommend creating a Great Lakes Home Port designation to explore the feasibility of conducting military maritime repair work on the Great Lakes.

It is also critical that your Administration consistently enforce any existing Buy American requirements related to infrastructure projects and vessel construction and operation.

Expand federal investment in workforce training and apprenticeships

We must develop a next-generation workforce that can meet the demands of modern shipbuilding and marine technology. The White House should support targeted federal grants to high schools, community colleges, trade schools, and union training centers in the Great Lakes region to expand apprenticeship programs in welding, electrical systems, naval architecture, marine engineering, and precision manufacturing. A robust pipeline of skilled workers is essential to meet current and future demand.

In addition to Senators Young and Baldwin, the letter is also co-signed by Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

The letter is supported by the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard.

• The full text of the letter is available HERE