South Korean shipbuilders first to benefit from Trump’s plan to keep US Navy afloat

Asia - South China Morning Post · Aug 17, 2026

South Korean shipbuilders could be among the first US partners to benefit from President Donald Trump’s push to rebuild America’s naval industrial base, analysts have said. Trump last week signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum allowing foreign shipbuilders with US investments to build up to two vessels at their parent shipyards – a move aimed at quickly addressing gaps in US Navy capacity while restoring the country’s own shipbuilding sector. The directive comes as Washington seeks...