White House Releases Maritime Action Plan
February 27, 2026
On February 13, 2026, as directed by President Donald J. Trump in his Executive Order 14269 (“Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance”),[1] the White House released its 35-page Maritime Action Plan, or MAP. [2]
In introducing the MAP, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, stated that “the United States is decisively moving towards a new Maritime Golden Age by expanding commercial shipbuilding capacity, building a resilient workforce, and strengthening alliances that advance both our nation’s economic prosperity and its national security” and that the MAP “charts a course to reclaim America’s maritime strength, ensuring the Nation can defend its interests and ferry its trade.”
The MAP is built upon four pillars:
- Rebuilding U.S. Shipbuilding Capacity and Capabilities
- Reforming Workforce Education and Training
- Protecting the U.S. Maritime Industrial Base
- National Security, Economic Security, and Industrial Resilience
The MAP implicates a “whole-of-government approach.” The plan would be implemented through collaboration among federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Commerce and State, the U.S. National Security Council, the U.S. Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as Congressional support through legislation. Referring to bills that have already been introduced in Congress (the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security Act of 2025, or the SHIPs Act, and the Building Ships in America Act of 2025), the MAP notes that the White House is compiling its own package of legislative proposals designed to strengthen the U.S. maritime industry. This package will include a proposal to enforce payment of fees at U.S. borders to “prevent the circumvention of certain charges by importing through land borders as opposed to maritime ports,” supporting the MAP’s proposed fees on foreign-built vessels entering U.S. ports. These fees would be calculated with reference to the weight of imported tonnage.
The MAP mentions increasing the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin technology, and additive manufacturing, as well as developing the autonomous maritime technology industry.
The MAP represents a significant step in the U.S. Administration’s stated goal of revitalizing the U.S. maritime industry though concerted action among the United States, its allies and maritime industry participants.
[1] See the White House fact sheet relating to Executive Order 14269 at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-americas-maritime-dominance/
[2] See the text of the MAP at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Restoring-Americas-Maritime-Dominance.pdf
Click here to view a downloadable PDF of the legal update.
This Maritime & Shipping Finance Update is intended to keep readers current on developments in the law. It is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any questions, please contact Maritime & Shipping Finance Attorney, Robert Lustrin, at 914.286.2814 or rlustrin@eckertseamans.com, or any other attorney at Eckert Seamans with whom you have been working.
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