The SHIPS for America Act is a comprehensive bill designed to rebuild and strengthen America's maritime industry, which has significantly declined over the past several decades. The bill recognizes that the U.S. now has only about 80 ships engaged in international trade compared to over 10,000 during World War II, while China has built up massive shipbuilding capacity with over 1,700 orders on the books. This matters because roughly 80% of American goods arrive by sea, but 98% come on foreign ships, making the economy vulnerable to disruptions and dependent on countries that may not have America's interests in mind.

To fix this, the bill creates a new Maritime Security Advisor position in the White House with a seat on the National Security Council, along with a Maritime Security Board made up of leaders from the Defense Department, Coast Guard, Commerce, Transportation, and other agencies. This coordinated leadership will develop a National Maritime Strategy and oversee efforts to rebuild American shipyards, grow the merchant marine workforce, and make American-built ships competitive globally. The bill also establishes oversight of government cargo preference programs—meaning federal agencies should prioritize shipping goods on American vessels when possible.

The practical impact is that the bill aims to create more jobs in shipbuilding and maritime careers, strengthen America's ability to supply its military during conflicts, reduce dependence on foreign shipping companies, and help American exporters compete globally. It does this through a combination of better government coordination, long-term investment commitments, workforce development programs, and regulatory changes to make American shipping more competitive. The bill allocates $5 million annually through 2034 to fund the new Maritime Security Board's operations.