Executive Order No. 14269. Restoring America's Maritime Dominance

• Citation: 90 FR 15635
• Published date: 15 April 2025
• FR Document: 2025-06465
• Executive Order No.: 14269
• Date: 09 April 2025
• Pages: 15635-15641
• Issuer: Executive Office of the President
• Section: Presidential Documents

Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 15, 2025)

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 15, 2025)]
                [Presidential Documents]
                [Pages 15635-15641]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2025-06465] Presidential Documents
                Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 71 / Tuesday, April 15, 2025 /
                Presidential Documents
                [[Page 15635]]
                 Executive Order 14269 of April 9, 2025
                
                Restoring America's Maritime Dominance
                 By the authority vested in me as President by the
                 Constitution and the laws of the United States of
                 America, it is hereby ordered:
                 Section 1. Purpose. The commercial shipbuilding
                 capacity and maritime workforce of the United States
                 has been weakened by decades of Government neglect,
                 leading to the decline of a once strong industrial base
                 while simultaneously empowering our adversaries and
                 eroding United States national security. Both our
                 allies and our strategic competitors produce ships for
                 a fraction of the cost needed in the United States.
                 Recent data shows that the United States constructs
                 less than one percent of commercial ships globally,
                 while the People's Republic of China (PRC) is
                 responsible for producing approximately half.
                 Rectifying these issues requires a comprehensive
                 approach that includes securing consistent,
                 predictable, and durable Federal funding, making United
                 States-flagged and built vessels commercially
                 competitive in international commerce, rebuilding
                 America's maritime manufacturing capabilities (the
                 Maritime Industrial Base), and expanding and
                 strengthening the recruitment, training, and retention
                 of the relevant workforce.
                 Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States
                 to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries
                 and workforce to promote national security and economic
                 prosperity.
                 Sec. 3. Maritime Action Plan. (a) Within 210 days of
                 the date of this order, the Assistant to the President
                 for National Security Affairs (APNSA), in coordination
                 with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense,
                 the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the
                 Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland
                 Security, the United States Trade Representative
                 (USTR), and the heads of executive departments and
                 agencies (agencies) the APNSA deems appropriate, shall
                 submit a Maritime Action Plan (MAP) to the President,
                 through the APNSA and the Director of the Office of
                 Management and Budget (OMB Director) to achieve the
                 policy set forth in this order.
                 (b) The OMB Director, in coordination with the
                 APNSA, shall be responsible for all legislative,
                 regulatory, and fiscal assessments related to the MAP.
                 (c) The MAP shall, to the extent permissible and
                 consistent with applicable law, including the Buy
                 American Act (41 U.S.C. 8301-8305), reflect actions
                 taken pursuant to sections 4 through 21 of this order.
                 Sec. 4. Ensure the Security and Resilience of the
                 Maritime Industrial Base. Within 180 days of the date
                 of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in
                 coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the
                 Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of
                 Homeland Security, shall provide to the APNSA and the
                 OMB Director for inclusion in the MAP an assessment of
                 options both for the use of available authorities and
                 resources, such as Defense Production Act Title III
                 authorities, and for the use of private capital to the
                 maximum extent possible to invest in and expand the
                 Maritime Industrial Base including, but not limited to,
                 investment and expansion of commercial and defense
                 shipbuilding capabilities, component supply chains,
                 ship repair and marine transportation capabilities,
                 port infrastructure, and the adjacent workforce. The
                 Secretary of Defense shall pursue using the Office of
                 Strategic Capital loan program to improve the
                 shipbuilding industrial base. As part of their
                [[Page 15636]]
                 assessment, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of
                 Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security
                 shall:
                 (a) identify key maritime components in the supply
                 chain that are essential for rebuilding and expanding
                 the Maritime Industrial Base and that should be
                 prioritized for investment;
                 (b) ensure that their recommendations of public and
                 private investments are made according to a clear
                 metric, derived in consultation with the Assistant to
                 the President for Economic Policy, of return on
                 invested capital for the United States taxpayer and to
                 the economic and national security of the United
                 States; and
                 (c) ensure that their recommendations take into
                 consideration the projected increases to commercial and
                 defense capabilities, the projected growth in economic
                 activity, and the projected benefits for taxpayers and
                 the workforce.
                 Sec. 5. Actions in the Investigation of the PRC's
                 Unfair Targeting of Maritime, Logistics, and
                 Shipbuilding Sectors. (a) With respect to the actions,
                 if any, that the USTR determines to take consistent
                 with the USTR's notice of public hearing entitled
                 Proposed Action in Section 301 Investigation of the
                 PRC's Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and
                 Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance, 90 Fed. Reg. 10843
                 (February 27, 2025), the USTR shall:
                (i) coordinate with appropriate agencies to collect additional information,
                as appropriate and to the extent permitted by law, in support of
                administering such actions; and
                (ii) coordinate with the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland
                Security to take appropriate steps to enforce any restriction, fee,
                penalty, or duty imposed pursuant to such actions.
                 (b) Based on the USTR's determinations arising out
                 of its Section 301 investigation into the PRC's
                 targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding
                 sectors, the USTR shall also consider taking all
                 necessary steps permitted by law to propose the
                 following actions:
                (i) tariffs on ship-to-shore cranes manufactured, assembled, or made using
                components of PRC origin, or manufactured anywhere in the world by a
                company owned, controlled, or substantially influenced by a PRC national;
                and
                (ii) tariffs on other cargo handling equipment.
                 Sec. 6. Enforce Collection of Harbor Maintenance Fee
                 and Other Charges. In order to prevent cargo carriers
                 from circumventing the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) on
                 imported goods through the practice of making port in
                 Canada or Mexico and sending their cargo into the
                 United States through land borders, and to ensure the
                 collection of other charges as applicable, the
                 Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all necessary
                 steps, including proposing new legislation, as
                 permitted by law to:
                 (a) require all foreign-origin cargo arriving by
                 vessel to clear the Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
                 entry process at a United States port of entry for
                 security and collection of all applicable duties,
                 customs, taxes, fees, interest, and other charges; and
                 (b) ensure any foreign-origin cargo first arriving
                 by vessel to North America clearing the CBP process at
                 an inland location from the country of land transit
                 (Canada or Mexico) is assessed applicable customs,
                 duties, taxes, fees (including the HMF), interest, and
                 other charges plus a 10 percent service fee for
                 additional costs to the CBP, so long as the cargo being
                 shipped into the United States is not substantially
                 transformed from its condition at the time of arrival
                 into the country of land transit (with the discretion
                 for such decisions to be determined by CBP).
                 Sec. 7. Engage Allies and Partners to Align Trade
                 Policies. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the
                 USTR, in consultation with the Secretary of State and
                 the Secretary of Commerce, shall engage treaty allies,
                 partners, and other like-minded countries around the
                 world with respect to their potential imposition of any
                 actions taken pursuant to sections 5 and 6
                [[Page 15637]]
                 of this order. The USTR shall deliver an engagement
                 plan and progress report on these engagements to the
                 President.
                 Sec. 8. Reduce Dependence on Adversaries through Allies
                 and Partners. Within 90 days of the date of this order,
                 the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the
                 Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall
                 recommend to the APNSA and the OMB Director for
                 inclusion in the MAP all available incentives to help
                 shipbuilders domiciled in allied nations partner to
                 undertake capital investment in the United States to
                 help strengthen the shipbuilding capacity of the United
                 States.
                 Sec. 9. Launch a Maritime Security Trust Fund. In
                 conjunction with the formulation of the President's
                 Budget, the OMB Director shall, in coordination with
                 the Secretary of Transportation, develop a legislative
                 proposal, which shall be described in detail in the
                 MAP, to establish a Maritime Security Trust Fund that
                 can serve as a reliable funding source to deliver
                 consistent support for MAP programs. This proposal
                 shall consider how new or existing tariff revenue,
                 fines, fees, or tax revenue could further the goal of
                 establishing a more reliable, dedicated funding source
                 for programs support by the MAP.
                 Sec. 10. Shipbuilding Financial Incentives Program. In
                 conjunction with the formulation of the President's
                 Budget and consistent with the findings of the report
                 required under section 12 of this order, the Secretary
                 of Transportation shall submit a legislative proposal
                 to the APNSA and the OMB Director, which shall be
                 described in detail in the MAP, that establishes a
                 financial incentives program with broad flexibility to
                 incentivize private investment in the construction of
                 commercial components, parts, and vessels; capital
                 improvements to commercial vessel shipyards; capital
                 improvements to commercial vessel repair facilities and
                 drydocks through grants; and Federal Credit Reform Act-
                 compliant loans and loan guarantees. Such proposal may
                 augment or replace existing programs with similar
                 purpose including the Small Shipyard Grant Program and
                 the Federal Ship Financing (Title XI) Program.
                 Sec. 11. Establish Maritime Prosperity Zones. Within 90
                 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of
                 Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of the
                 Treasury, the Secretary of Transportation, and the
                 Secretary of Homeland Security, shall deliver a plan to
                 the President through the APNSA for inclusion in the
                 MAP that identifies opportunities to incentivize and
                 facilitate domestic and allied investment in United
                 States maritime industries and waterfront communities
                 through establishment of maritime prosperity zones. The
                 proposal shall:
                 (a) model these maritime prosperity zones on the
                 opportunity zones established pursuant to section 13823
                 of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-
                 97, 131 Stat. 2054), which I signed into law during my
                 first Administration;
                 (b) include stipulations for appropriate regulatory
                 relief in the establishment of such zones; and
                 (c) provide for zones that are outside of
                 traditional coastal shipbuilding and ship repair
                 centers and are geographically diverse, including river
                 regions as well as the Great Lakes.
                 Sec. 12. Report on Maritime Industry Needs. Within 90
                 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of
                 Transportation, in coordination with the Secretary of
                 Homeland Security and the heads of other agencies as
                 appropriate, shall deliver a report to the OMB Director
                 and APNSA for inclusion in the MAP that inventories
                 Federal programs that could be used to sustain and grow
                 the supply of and demand for the United States maritime
                 industry. The report and inventory shall include:
                 (a) any Federal programs that provide financial and
                 regulatory incentives for United States shipping,
                 shipbuilding, and shipbuilding supply chains, including
                 the training of shipbuilders and United States-
                 credentialed mariners;
                [[Page 15638]]
                 (b) Maritime Administration programs such as the
                 Tanker Security Program, Cable Security Fleet, Maritime
                 Security Programs, Maritime Environmental and Technical
                 Assistance Program, Title XI, Assistance to Small
                 Shipyards, Port Infrastructure Development Program, the
                 United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), and
                 programs that support the State Maritime Academies;
                 (c) existing domestic cargo preference laws,
                 including the Military Cargo Preference Act of 1904, as
                 amended, (10 U.S.C. 2631) and the Cargo Preference Act
                 of 1954, as amended, (46 U.S.C. 55304), and whether and
                 how they can be used to ensure that United States cargo
                 is transported on United States-built and flagged
                 vessels, including a review of the existing waiver
                 process and all current waivers to ensure they are
                 consistent with the promotion of American domestic
                 shipping;
                 (d) other available means that could further
                 support the industry, including modifications of
                 existing programs, establishment of new programs, and
                 tax and regulatory relief; and
                 (e) in coordination with the National Security
                 Council and the Office of Management and Budget, the
                 costs and benefits of increased cargo preference rates,
                 including on liquid cargo carriers, tankers, and
                 military useful vessels, and options for increasing
                 cargo preference compliance and directing open market
                 procurement of shipping to meet urgent military needs
                 for maritime vessels.
                 Sec. 13. Expand Mariner Training and Education. Within
                 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of
                 State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
                 Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary
                 of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security
                 shall deliver a report to the President through the
                 APNSA for inclusion in the MAP with recommendations to
                 address workforce challenges in the maritime sector
                 through maritime educational institutions and workforce
                 transitions.
                 (a) In preparing their report, the Secretary of
                 State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
                 Labor, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary
                 of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security
                 shall consult, as needed, with industry stakeholders
                 including private industry and labor organizations.
                 (b) The report shall:
                (i) include the current number of credentialed mariners and estimate the
                additional credentialed mariners required to support the policies described
                in this order;
                (ii) analyze the impact of establishing new and expanding existing merchant
                marine academies as a means of educating, training, and certifying the
                additional credentialed merchant mariners estimated under subsection (b)(i)
                of this section;
                (iii) identify any requirements for credentialing mariners that are
                unnecessary, insufficient, or unduly burdensome and provide recommendations
                for reform;
                (iv) inventory existing educational and technical training grants and
                scholarships to colleges and vocational-technical training institutions for
                critical shipbuilding specialties and other maritime studies, and provide
                recommendations for enhancement; and
                (v) assess the United States Coast Guard credentialing program
                applicability to United States Navy Active Duty and Reserve sailors to
                increase opportunities for sailors to transfer into the Merchant Marine
                with validated skills.
                 (c) Consistent with the findings of the report and
                 in conjunction with the formulation of the President's
                 Budget, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense,
                 the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of
                 Transportation, the Secretary of Education, and the
                 Secretary of Homeland Security shall deliver a
                 legislative proposal to the APNSA and the OMB Director
                 that:
                [[Page 15639]]
                (i) reflects the recommendations of the report required under this section;
                (ii) establishes national maritime scholarships to send promising maritime
                experts abroad to learn cutting edge techniques and subjects, such as
                innovative maritime logistics, clean fuels and advanced nuclear energy,
                human-machine teaming, and additive manufacturing and other advanced
                technologies; and
                (iii) offers scholarships to maritime experts from allied countries to
                teach at United States institutions.
                 Sec. 14. Modernize the United States Merchant Marine
                 Academy. (a) The Secretary of Transportation shall:
                (i) within 30 days of this order consistent with applicable law and
                available appropriations, take action to hire the necessary facilities
                staff and reprogram budgetary resources needed to execute urgent deferred
                maintenance projects and any other mission critical repair works at the
                USMMA;
                (ii) take immediate action to finalize a long-term master facilities plan
                (LMFP) for the modernization of the USMMA campus and submit such plan to
                the APNSA and OMB Director for concurrence; and
                (iii) within 90 days of the concurrence described in subsection (a)(ii) of
                this section, in consultation with the Department of Government Efficiency,
                submit a 5-year capital improvement plan (CIP) consistent with the LMFP to
                the APNSA and OMB Director that includes capital project budgets,
                schedules, and sequencing, as well as an inventory of deferred maintenance
                items necessary to sustain campus operations through completion of the CIP.
                 (b) All actions taken pursuant to this section
                 shall be detailed in the MAP.
                 Sec. 15. Improve Procurement Efficiency. Within 90 days
                 of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense,
                 the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of
                 Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and
                 the Director of the National Science Foundation shall
                 develop a proposal for improved acquisition strategies
                 processes for United States Government vessels and
                 submit such proposal to APNSA and the OMB Director for
                 inclusion in the MAP. The proposal shall:
                 (a) have as its objective providing American
                 shipbuilders with market forecasting needed to justify
                 investments in infrastructure, workforce, and
                 intellectual property to meet United States demand;
                 (b) include reforms recommended by the Secretary of
                 Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security related
                 to:
                (i) staff structure and innovations in acquisition strategies that will
                improve Federal vessel procurement; and
                (ii) reductions of the layers of approval needed to execute, build, and
                improve the vessel acquisition process, including by utilizing commercial
                acquisition and modular design practices that reduce complexity and prevent
                frequent changes to ship designs;
                 (c) identify for elimination excessive
                 requirements, including the number of Government
                 reviews and onerous regulations that add to ship design
                 and acquisition delays; and
                 (d) consider use of broad industry standards and
                 American-made readily available parts and components to
                 drive up production volume while shrinking the
                 iterative design process, which historically has led to
                 delays and cost increases.
                 Sec. 16. Improve Government Efficiency. Within 90 days
                 of the date of this order, the Department of Government
                 Efficiency shall begin a separate review of the
                 Department of Defense and Department of Homeland
                 Security vessel procurement processes and deliver a
                 proposal to the President, through the APNSA for
                 inclusion in the MAP, to improve the efficiency and
                 effectiveness of these processes.
                [[Page 15640]]
                 Sec. 17. Increase the Fleet of Commercial Vessels
                 Trading Internationally under the flag of the United
                 States. Within 180 days of the date of this order, in
                 conjunction with the formulation of the President's
                 Budget and consistent with the findings of the report
                 required under section 12 of this section, the
                 Secretary of Transportation shall in coordination with
                 the Secretary of Defense, deliver a legislative
                 proposal to the APNSA and OMB Director for inclusion in
                 the MAP that:
                 (a) is designed to ensure that adequate cubed
                 footage and gross tonnage of United States-flagged
                 commercial vessels can be called upon in times of
                 crisis, while limiting the likelihood of Government
                 waste;
                 (b) provides incentives that will:
                (i) grow the fleet of United States built, crewed, and flagged vessels that
                serve as readily deployable assets for national security purposes; and
                (ii) increase the participation of United States commercial vessels in
                international trade; and
                 (c) enhances existing subsidies to include coverage
                 of certain construction or modification costs in a
                 manner designed to enhance incentives for the
                 commercial shipping industry to operate militarily
                 useful ships that trade internationally under the flag
                 of the United States.
                 Sec. 18. Ensure the Security and Leadership of Arctic
                 Waterways. Within 90 days of the date of this order,
                 the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the
                 Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland
                 Security, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall
                 develop a strategy that identifies the vision, goals,
                 and objectives necessary to secure arctic waterways and
                 enable American prosperity in the face of evolving
                 arctic security challenges and associated risks, and
                 deliver it to the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP.
                 Sec. 19. Shipbuilding Review. Within 45 days of the
                 date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, the
                 Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation,
                 and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct a
                 review of shipbuilding for United States Government use
                 and submit a report to the President with
                 recommendations to increase the number of participants
                 and competitors within United States shipbuilding, and
                 to reduce cost overruns and production delays for
                 surface, subsurface, and unmanned programs. This report
                 must include separate itemized and prioritized lists of
                 recommendations for the United States Army, Navy, and
                 Coast Guard and shall be included in the MAP.
                 Sec. 20. Deregulatory Initiatives. Within 30 days of
                 the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, the
                 Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of
                 Homeland Security shall conduct a review of their
                 regulations, and implementation thereof, across all
                 components pertaining to the domestic commercial
                 maritime fleet and maritime port access to determine
                 where each agency may be able to deregulate within the
                 framework of Executive Order 14192 of January 31, 2025
                 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation), to reduce
                 unnecessary costs and clear barriers to emerging
                 technology and related efficiencies. Each agency will
                 submit a report of its findings to the OMB Director and
                 to the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP.
                 Sec. 21. Inactive Reserve Fleet. Within 90 days of the
                 date of this order, the Secretary of Defense shall
                 conduct a review and issue guidance on the funding,
                 retention, support, and mobilization of a robust
                 inactive reserve fleet. This review and guidance shall
                 be delivered to the APNSA for inclusion in the MAP.
                 Sec. 22. Coordination. Unless otherwise specified in
                 this order, the plans, reports, reviews, and
                 recommendations that are required to be submitted to
                 the President by this order shall be developed through
                 interagency coordination in accordance with National
                 Security Presidential Memorandum 1 of January 20, 2025
                 (Organization of the National Security Council and
                 Subcommittees), or its successors.
                [[Page 15641]]
                 Sec. 23. Severability. If any provision of this order,
                 or the application of any provision to any person or
                 circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of
                 this order and the application of its provisions to any
                 other persons or circumstances shall not be affected
                 thereby.
                 Sec. 24. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
                 shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
                (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
                the head thereof; or
                (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
                relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
                 (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
                 applicable law and subject to the availability of
                 appropriations.
                 (c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
                 create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
                 enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
                 the United States, its departments, agencies, or
                 entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
                 other person.
                
                
                 (Presidential Sig.)
                 THE WHITE HOUSE,
                 April 9, 2025.
                [FR Doc. 2025-06465
                Filed 4-14-25; 8:45 am]
                Billing code 3395-F4-P