Seatrade Maritime News: US-flag international fleet plans ‘very ambitious’

May 5, 2025 The two components of the SHIPS act- actually the SHIPS for America Act and the Building SHIPS in America Act, are wide-ranging. Analysts at tanker broker and market expert Poten & Partners, in an Opinion piece, offered that: “The depth and breadth of the SHIPS Act shows the ambitions of the US to boost its maritime industry. If implemented, this has the potential to significantly transform the US shipping industry.” In looking at the tanker segment, the authors of the Poten report, led by lead analyst Erik Broekhuizen, said: “[The Act] proposes that MARAD starts a Strategic Commercial Fleet Program with the previously mentioned goal of establishing a fleet of 250 US-flagged vessels in international commerce. While eligible participants are allowed to initially reflag foreign built vessels into this program (to increase the fleet more rapidly), this option will no longer be available after fiscal year 2030. The Act recognizes that there is an imminent need for tankers, and that MARAD should prioritize these vessels.”

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