Trump signs executive order to revitalize US shipbuilding industry

But even American shipping-companies would rather buy 3 Chinese ships then one USA build ship. They care more about their money then they do about the USA. Every single time.... Trump bought all him MAGA hats in CHINA.... Not even 1 was made in the USA. NOT 1.

And thus the case for tariffs is made.
 
It is neither practical nor even possible to retrofit all of or even a majority of them to survive direct hits from tornadoes.

Indeed. It should however, be entirely within the realm of the feasible for a new home, at the homeowners discretion, to be made tough as a fortress if they're willing to pay for it. However, even the houses built out of sticks and paper products are increasingly built shoddily due to *shoddy* workmanship, not merely lame materials.

View: https://x.com/financedystop/status/1906802680301056092
 
We are in a trade war between China and the US that can last for years before one of the two powers collapses. It would be a very prudent attitude for the Western world to start manufacturing again everything that the Chinese used to make and we buy at a low price, without thinking about the consequences. The use of robots and production in large series would help to lower prices and take much power away from the unions, which were one of the causes of our factories fleeing to China in the eighties and nineties.
There is also the very real possibility of China getting itself into a shooting war, either by invading Taiwan or Siberia. In the former case, every Chinese flagged vessel on the planet will start looking like a new artificial reef, and will need to be replaced by *somebody* to restore worldwide cargo transport when the shooting's over.
 
However, even the houses built out of sticks and paper products are increasingly built shoddily due to *shoddy* workmanship, not merely lame materials.
A whole lot of bandwidth could be used for documenting that.
I am aware that it is a thing, has been a thing for some time, but my health limits how many things I can keep track of the details of, and how many of those details I can keep track of.
Other people will be the ones to do that conversation.
 
I stand by my earlier point of the only way for the US to actually revitalize their shipbuilding is to nationalize it, invest multiple billions into their now state owned yards and fast track the implementation of reforms with regards to payment and the work climate. Which will not only help to bring new people in, but also retain already skilled workers in the important areas.

The thing is obviously that nationalization would lead to an uproar within the private corporate shill dominated economic landscape in the US, keep in mind they managed to privatize stuff like security and space travel lmao, but it's also an issue with the US political system virtually being reset every 4 years, sometimes 8. Not having to be bothered by such nonsense is obviously something China doesn't have to be bothered with, but in case of the US there is no other option, well there is one but it's unlikely the US will abolish it's democratic system just for shipbuilding. An alternative would be when the American consciousness as a whole is united in the goal of beating the Chinese on the high seas. But as someone here said earlier, the US isn't united in it's goals these days. It is in a broader sense rather fractured and plagued by a multitude of issues that all require solutions, and these solutions should have been there yesterday already. So the second best options remain that the US keeps its shipbuilding on life support and bets on China getting rolled up in some Afghanistan style war somewhere or a demographic collapse.
Yep that's the great thing about a totalitarian dictatorship - no corporate shills and everyone's consciousness is united. Or they're dead.
 
Yep that's the great thing about a totalitarian dictatorship - no corporate shills and everyone's consciousness is united. Or they're dead.

Sounds like the US is going the way it seems from what I am seeing, difference is they have already lost hence trying to dig themselves out of the hole.

Regards,
 
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And thus the case for tariffs is made.
You do go out much do you?
No shipping company is going to sail under US flag, they all claim to be from Panama or some other country that doesn't respect US laws. Tax dodgers are going to dodge taxes... Only good citizens like you pay taxes...
 
There is also the very real possibility of China getting itself into a shooting war, either by invading Taiwan or Siberia. In the former case, every Chinese flagged vessel on the planet will start looking like a new artificial reef, and will need to be replaced by *somebody* to restore worldwide cargo transport when the shooting's over.
Nothing is new in history, Mussolini made the mistake of entering World War II without notifying his embassies or shipping companies and in the first forty-eight hours he lost dozens of Italian merchant ships that were seized in Allied ports. When I need those ships to supply the Afrika Korps... I no longer had them.

I don't think a real war is going to start, humiliated dictators usually vent their anger against their own people... implosion and camouflage through the media, great economic losses and hope for better times.
 
Tax dodgers are going to dodge taxes... Only good citizens like you pay taxes...
Speaking of taxes, they have been demonstrated to have effects on boatbuilding and the boatbuilding industry.
Now, granted, these were direct taxes on the boats themselves,
but it demonstrates that taxing a thing has an effect on both that thing & stuff connected to that thing,
perhaps that famous butterfly effect metaphor, or perhaps not,
but either way, a documentable and often detrimental effect.

--> 3 historical references and then 3 more contemporary references

tl;dr - history is doomed to be repeated
or something like that

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Boat-builders fight to stay afloat as luxury tax pulls down sales
Author
By Tom Bowman
UPDATED: October 26, 2018 at 6:23 AM EDT


Washington — Last year, some 220 workers built boats at Pearson Yachts Corp. in Portsmouth, R.I. This year, there are 50 workers left.

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harrison Yacht Sales in Graysonville has trimmed its 95 employees to eight.

Those job cuts are among an estimated 19,000 blue-collar marine jobs lost throughout the nation this year. The culprit, boat industry officials say: a 10-percent federal “luxury tax” that went into effect in January on new pleasure boats that cost more than $100,000.

Created to hit the blue-blazer crowd, the tax has instead slammed into the blue-collar worker like a summer squall, zTC according to boatyard owners and officials who track the 450,000-worker industry.

Sales of boats that cost more than $100,000 fell by 56 percent one month after the tax went into effect, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Some boatyard owners, who report no sales this year, have been forced to lay off workers or declare bankruptcy.

That turmoil has sparked a reaction by members of Congress from coastal states such as Louisiana and Maryland, which have lost marine jobs. This week, at a Senate subcommittee hearing, legislators will begin the struggle to repeal the tax that has hurt people like Dave Harrison.

HOW TO SINK AN INDUSTRY AND NOT SOAK THE RICH
July 15, 1993
By James K. Glassman


Rich people aren't happy about paying this extra money. Even if they can afford it, they think it's unfair. And in some cases, they're refusing to pay it -- simply by refusing to buy new boats and planes.

Of course, rich people don't have to buy a new 90-foot Broward (they can keep the old 54-foot Bertram, for instance, or buy a house in Vail, a major Childe Hassam or a minor Gauguin -- none of which are covered by the luxury tax). So the federal government doesn't get the tax money -- and, worse, Broward doesn't sell its yacht and various boat builders get put out of work.

As a result, in its first year and a half, the yacht tax raised a pathetic $12,655,000 for the Treasury. That's enough to run the Agriculture Department for a little over two hours. Meanwhile, the tax has contributed to the general devastation of the American boating industry


The EU Hits American Boats with 25% Tariff
Jun 25, 2018


The Targeted Boats

The new EU import duties effectively stop all U.S. boat exports from canoes and kayaks to PWCs to sterndrives and inboard cruisers to megayachts. The only boats that seem to be excluded are outboard-powered boats and inflatables to the EU nations.

Currently, about 111,000 aluminum boats are made in the U.S., including aluminum fishing boats and pontoon boats. Aluminum boats account for about 43% of all boat sales in the U.S. According to an NMMA spokesman, the price of domestic aluminum has already jumped 20%.

The $39 billion U.S. boating industry supports 650,000 American jobs, said NMMA president Thom Dammrich in a statement.


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US marine industry in turmoil over new tariffs
The U.S. marine industry is in turmoil with the entry into force of new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. These measures, which affect imports of steel, aluminum and various products from Canada, Mexico and China, have raised fears of a new trade war, with short-term consequences for the European marine industry. While markets are reacting negatively, players in the nautical sector are getting organized to limit the impact on production and exports.
Maxime Leriche
Published on March 4, 2025


The new measures are reminiscent of 2018, when the European Union imposed a 25% tax on American boats in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum. This decision led to a drop in exports from the American marine industry to Europe, a crucial market.

If the European Union decides to reintroduce similar countermeasures in 2025, American shipbuilders could face a new crisis. A moratorium on these taxes, negotiated in 2021 and extended until March 31, 2025, may not be renewed if tensions escalate.


How U.S. Yacht Buyers Can Beat the New Yacht Tariffs: Look for “Duty Paid” Deals

Following President Trump’s surprise April 2 announcement of sweeping new import tariffs, the U.S. yacht market is in flux.


Real Savings: Avoiding Tariffs Up to 54%

Here’s a practical example: A new Pearl 72 for sale, built in China, might face a 54% tariff if purchased directly from the shipyard or as an inbound new delivery. That could add over $2 million to a $4 million yacht.

However, if a U.S. dealer imported the same model six months ago and it's already listed in Florida with duty paid, the buyer pays no additional import tax. That’s an enormous savings—and with immediate availability, too.


How Buying a Foreign-Flagged Vessel Can Save You Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars

September 28th, 2021


Despite these limitations, many sellers choose to pursue an offshore sale in hopes of attracting an international buyer and boosting their profits by avoiding required U.S. import taxes. But this means that U.S. nationals cannot even touch the teak of a for-sale foreign-flagged vessel when she’s in American waters without risking the wrath of U.S. Customs.

But if you’re an American eyeing a foreign-flagged beauty, fear not. Here’s what you need to know about buying or selling a foreign flagged boat offshore:

BUYING FOREIGN-FLAGGED VESSELS

Pursuing an offshore sale will give you access to far more inventory. And though you might not be able to experience the smooth glide of that foreign-flagged, soon-to-be-yours yacht of your dreams in your home waters, that doesn’t mean you’re buying blind.

As the sale proceeds, your offer will be subject to a sea trial held in international waters (at least 3 miles out from the U.S. shoreline). If the trial is successful, you’ll complete the sale of the boat while still at sea.

For Americans, you’ll have to pay U.S. import taxes and other required fees as soon as you re-enter American waters.
International buyers who are hoping to bring their new boat back to the United States will need to obtain a new cruising license to keep her in American waters.

Though this process can feel confusing to first-time offshore boat buyers, a well-qualified and experienced yacht broker can make it easily navigable.

SELLING FOREIGN-FLAGGED VESSELS

If you’re the owner of a foreign-flagged vessel and already have a cruising permit in hand, there are a few key reasons you might choose to list it as an offshore sale:

Circumventing hefty Duty and Import tax requirements can boost your profit from the sale, especially if you take into account how exchange rates will factor into your bottom line.
Depending on where your boat is docked, it can be easier to sell in the U.S. than sailing/shipping your boat back to the country where it’s registered.
A savvy seller will also think about how buyer trends in local markets will affect interest in and demand for the features your vessel offers.

However, listing your boat as an offshore sale comes with two major downsides:
 
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And thus the case for tariffs is made.
Tariffs don't do anything for domestic shipbuilding, nearly all of the ships being used for international cargo, cruise passengers, and billionaires are built, paid for, and operated by entities outside the US. The trade war will cause a crash new ship orders as shipping and tourism nosedive, that may hurt Asian and European shipyards but won't do anything to help American yards. If someone like Matson goes down during this trade war, a real possibility, the few remaining American yards that compete for their Jones compliant tonnage will be far worse off.

The shipyards, the cargo carriers, the cruise operators, and the yacht brokers all point out over and over again that the only way to stimulate US commercial shipbuilding back to a competitive level is via subsidy.
 

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