On April 30, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) together with several original co-sponsors re-introduced in the U.S. Senate the SHIPS for America Act, first introduced in December 2024, divided into two bills. Companion legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA). This is a major, historic effort to revitalize the U.S. merchant marine. The legislation had to be re-introduced to be considered by the new U.S. Congress which commenced in January.

On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed a series of fees on Chinese-owned and -operated vessels, Chinese-built vessels, and foreign-built car carriers starting in October 2025. The USTR also proposed additional duties on Chinese-manufactured ship-to-shore cranes and certain cargo handling equipment. The range of fees, the application of the fees to car carriers not connected with China, and the crane fees are all new and did not appear in the USTR’s February 2025 proposal.

On April 9, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.” The EO directs a range executive actions – mainly executive reports to outline further action and to propose new legislation – all to promote the U.S. merchant marine including U.S. shipbuilding.