Reference Message Network reported on April 16 that the website of "The National Interest" magazine published an article titled "How to Solve America's Ship Problem" on April 14. The author is Kent Calder. The following are excerpts from the article:
Winston Churchill once said that logistics in war are "the source of victory." Even in the era of automation, ships remain at the core of national security logistics, not to mention naval warfare itself. However, the United States is now facing a tricky "ship problem," which is quietly threatening Washington's dominant position in world affairs.
The core of America's ship problem lies in its shipbuilding industry itself. Despite having the strongest navy in the world, only 107 ships were built in 2024, about one-fourth of Japan's output and one-third of South Korea's. The United States ranks nineteenth globally in shipbuilding, with orders accounting for only 0.2% of the global total.
"The ship problem" is not limited to the shipbuilding sector; it also extends to the shipping sector. In terms of tonnage, America's carrying capacity ranks eleventh globally, and it is in a relatively weak position in all three major shipping categories (bulk carriers, tankers, and container ships).
Just like American shipbuilders, American shipping companies once dominated globally until Asia took over this position. In 1960, America's merchant fleet still accounted for 16% of the global total. This number dropped to 8% in 1970 and 4% in 1980, and now it is only 0.2%.
Like shipbuilding and shipping, America once had advanced and high-quality ports, but most ports are now in a long-term substandard state. Economies of scale and technological progress determine productivity, and America has been slow to respond to the development of cutting-edge technology. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, the two largest container ports in the United States, currently rank seventeenth and twenty-second globally by scale, respectively. The much-coveted Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ranks twenty-fourth globally.
America's "ship problem" can be attributed to three important policy failures: insufficient investment in basic industries, sluggish response to technological change, and regulatory barriers hindering efficiency improvement.
Of course, steel as a basic input is as important for shipbuilding and port construction as electronics are for the information age. Like the shipbuilding and shipping sectors, America has lagged behind in recent years in the steel sector, while Northeast Asia has gradually become a global leader.
Lack of adaptability in the face of technological change is the second root cause of America's "ship problem." Ironically, the core challenge in the business domain lies in America's delayed reaction to the new economics of container shipping. Automation and digitization have made it possible to handle more containers with fewer personnel, thus promoting the construction of larger ships and ports. China, with its powerful manufacturing base serving both domestic and international markets, has been able to create huge economies of scale in various maritime sectors. By contrast, America has neglected these economies of scale.
The third common challenge facing America's maritime industry is inefficient regulatory barriers. Among them, the Jones Act stands out. This act stipulates that goods transported between American ports must use ships built in the U.S. and operated by American crew members.
In response to these threefold ship challenges, there are some important measures that can gradually reverse Washington's shortcomings over time.
The most fundamental priority is to effectively nurture industries that can support America's shipping industry. Specifically, reviving America's steel industry is crucial, as the steel industry provides indispensable inputs for shipbuilding and port-related infrastructure.
The core of nurturing basic industries lies in addressing the challenge of technological change. So far, America's performance in this area has been surprisingly poor. International examples - including post-war Japan's lifetime employment system or Germany's approach to strengthening labor participation in management - may serve as references for promoting the labor-management cooperation needed to cope with technological change.
The third fundamental challenge facing America's shipping industry is government regulation. The government needs to be sensitive to the shipping workforce that developed under excessive past regulation. However, if America's merchant fleet and the broader shipping industry want to maintain even moderate competitiveness globally, the Jones Act undoubtedly needs to be abolished.
In the final analysis, the "ship problem" constitutes a new security issue not only for the United States but also for its allies. The collective cost of America's failures in shipbuilding, shipping, and port construction is a strategic nightmare of incalculable proportions. (Translated by Wang Diqing)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493913187935404596/
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