A poll conducted on Friday revealed that 72% of Americans said the U.S. could not remain dependent on China or other foreign shipbuilders.

Morning Consult conducted a survey on March 10-12 of 2,204 adults for the Alliance for American Manufacturing. The results showed that there was a strong concern among respondents about China's hold on the $150 billion global shipping industry and its negative implications for national security in the United States.

Only 11% of respondents said that the U.S. can rely on China or other countries to provide ships for commercial and military purposes.

Scott Paul, AAM's President, said: "This is a rare moment where there are strong bipartisan sentiments of wanting to progress." "And there is a lot of support from Capitol Hill to be aggressive about shipbuilding."

AAM, a group of policymakers led by the United Steelworkers and domestic manufacturers, released the survey ahead of a Monday hearing by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to discuss proposed remedies. These include charging up to $1.5M for Chinese-built ships entering U.S. port.

The Trump administration announced its proposed remedies. These include a requirement that at least 1% U.S. exported goods be shipped aboard vessels flying the U.S. flag. This comes a month after Biden's administration concluded, in a rapid-track investigation, that China unfairly dominates global maritime, shipbuilding, and logistics sectors.

This investigation was conducted in April 2024, at the request of United Steelworkers, along with four other unions. It was done under Section 301 of Trade Act of 1974 as a means to rebuild an industrial sector that had been in a deep decline since 1970s when Japan and South Korea dominated the shipbuilding industry.

The China Shipowners' Association has opposed the U.S. proposal that would impose heavy port entry fees for ocean cargo carriers who own vessels or have ordered them from China. They claim it violates both international laws and U.S. law.

Paul stated that the public's support for these measures is very strong.

The survey showed that 68% agreed that the United States ability to build ships both for commercial and military purposes is a matter national security. 71% wanted the U.S. Government to invest in U.S. Shipbuilding Industry.

The poll showed that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement that using Chinese-built docks for repairs, maintenance and retrofitting U.S. naval vessels is a threat to national security.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents supported a docking charge on Chinese vessels in order to encourage U.S. vessel building, while 56% supported requiring that a certain percentage of U.S. exported goods be transported by U.S. built vessels with U.S. crews.

Trump announced his first plans in an address to Congress early in March. In the coming weeks, he is expected to issue an executive order based on USTR's recommendations. The order would place fees on imported goods arriving on Chinese ships and offer tax credits to revive domestic shipbuilding. Reporting by Andrea Shalal, editing by Mark Heinrich

(source: Reuters)