The United States Did Not Just Outsource Shipbuilding. It Outsourced Demand.

Why America’s Cargo Demand Is Building Maritime Capacity Everywhere but at Home

By Bruce Kimbrell (Policy Op-Ed)   I spent last week at the Sea-Air-Space Conference at the Gaylord in Maryland listening to discussions about American shipbuilding.

Across panels, the focus was consistent: improving efficiency and throughput. McKinsey & Company also released a shipbuilding report during the event, reinforcing the emphasis on extracting more from the yards we already have—cost, output, and performance. In other sessions, including a panel led by Admiral Jamie Foggo, the focus shifted to partnerships, allied capacity, and operating within a global system.

Taken together, those conversations pointed