U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on the 6th (local time) that “(the U.S. Navy) will be able to use allies to build ships.” President-elect Trump also emphasized the need for cooperation between Korea and the United States in the field of ship MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) in a phone call with President Yoon Seok-yeol immediately after being elected in November last year.
In an interview on the Hugh Hewitt radio show that day, President-elect Trump was asked, “Do you have a will to rebuild the Navy?” and answered, “Yes.” “We need naval warships,” he said. “The United States is not building ships now, and we want to start doing it again.” “We could use our allies to build ships,” he said. He added, “We will announce very good things related to the navy,” and added, “Until we are ready (to build warships), it is okay for other countries to bid.” After mentioning China’s shipbuilding situation, he also criticized the Joe Biden administration, saying, “We just sat back and watched.”
On December 19 of last year, the U.S. Congress bipartisanly proposed the ‘Shipbuilding and Port Facilities for America’s Prosperity and Security Act (SHIPS for America Act)’ under the judgment that strengthening shipbuilding industry capabilities is important to win the competition for hegemony with China. The key content of the bill is to encourage the construction of ships in the United States to strengthen the ability to supply supplies to the U.S. military in the event of war. The bill stipulates that the number of U.S. merchant ships will be increased to 250 over the next 10 years to operate a ‘strategic merchant fleet’, but considering the reality that construction in the U.S. is difficult, it stipulates that merchant ships built abroad can be used temporarily. It also included the establishment of a new shipbuilding industry exchange program with allies led by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation, and a 25% tax credit for investments in shipyards in the United States.
There are observations that if this bill is passed, Korea, a powerful nation and a major ally of the United States, will benefit. In a phone call with President Yoon last November, President-elect Trump said, “I am well aware of Korea’s world-class warship and shipbuilding capabilities,” and added, “There is a need to closely cooperate with Korea not only in exporting our ships, but also in the field of repairs and maintenance.” “There is,” he said.
Reporter Choi Ji-seon [email protected]
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