A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is pushing President Donald Trump to ensure that the implementation of his Executive Order “Restoring America’s Shipbuilding Dominance” strengthens and revitalizes the Great Lakes shipbuilding industry. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Todd Young (R-IN) led the effort, calling on the Trump Administration to establish Maritime Prosperity Zones in regions outside the traditional coastal shipbuilding centers, including the Great Lakes.
In a letter to President Trump, the Senators emphasized the importance of the Great Lakes region in achieving a revitalized shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing industry. “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,” the Senators wrote. “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.”
The Senators laid out a 5-point recommendation plan for the Trump Administration to consider when establishing Maritime Prosperity Zones. These recommendations include:
1. **Define Great Lakes Prosperity Zones by Activity:** By looking at industry activity, including shipyards, their suppliers, and customers engaged in the maritime industry, rather than just geography, prosperity zones can better capture and support the full scope of the Great Lakes shipbuilding industry, workforce, and supply chains.
2. **Support the Creation of a Great Lakes Shipbuilding Consortium:** The Senators recommend commissioning and funding a study led by the Consortium to better support investments in infrastructure, workforce, and technology.
3. **Support Public and Private Investment into Shipyards, Ports, Supply Chain Modernization and Industrial Technology:** Continue federal investments in modernizing aging shipyards and strengthening shipyard’s supplier base.
4. **Create the Conditions for Sustained Success:** Streamline and increase competition in military new construction and repair contracting procedures, as well as enforce existing Buy America requirements.
5. **Expand Federal Investment in Workforce Training and Apprenticeships:** 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.
Senator Baldwin has been a leading voice in revitalizing the shipbuilding industry and leveling the playing field for Wisconsin workers. She introduced the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries. Baldwin also backed an investigation into China’s unfair trade practices in the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.
The letter is supported by the Fincantieri Marine Marinette Shipyard and is co-signed by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Jim Banks (R-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Husted (R-OH), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
This bipartisan push highlights the critical role that the Great Lakes region can play in restoring America’s shipbuilding dominance. By leveraging the existing strengths of the region and investing in infrastructure, workforce development, and technology, the Trump Administration can help ensure that the Great Lakes shipbuilding industry thrives and contributes to the nation’s maritime dominance.
The full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Mr. President:
As Senators representing Great Lakes states, we write regarding your Executive Order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” signed on April 9, 2025. 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. While Congress works to pass the Ships for America Act (S. 1541), which we believe will provide additional resources and tools that your Administration can use to turbocharge American shipbuilding, we would like to offer recommendations for complementary executive action that can be implemented in the near-term.
Section 11 of the Executive Order calls for a plan to establish Maritime Prosperity Zones in regions outside of traditional coastal shipbuilding centers, including the Great Lakes. We agree that the Great Lakes can play a vital role in reclaiming our nation’s position as a global leader in shipbuilding. The Great Lakes are already home to shipbuilders, manufacturers, steel producers, casting and forging, and maritime industry suppliers. Additionally, efforts are underway to connect industry leaders in the Great Lakes and develop a shipbuilding consortium for organized and strategic collaboration. 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.