트럼프, 외국 조선사에 미군함·지원선 최대 2척 해외건조 허용 추진

President Donald Trump's administration in the United States is pushing for foreign shipyards to be allowed to build and dry dock up to two U.S. Navy vessels abroad. Subsequent additional vessels would then be constructed at American shipyards with foreign investment. This move could impact the ongoing U.S.-South Korea "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA) shipbuilding cooperation.

The White House announced on the 13th (local time) that President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on national security to improve the Navy's dry dock and repair business and restore American shipbuilding capabilities and competitiveness. The memorandum highlighted that the U.S. shipbuilding industry's lack of capacity and deficiency in supply chains has resulted in delays and increased costs for dry docking six of the most important U.S. naval vessels.

The memorandum specifically applied the so-called "Finland model" used for the midsize icebreaker project of the U.S. Coast Guard to a maximum of three new procurements in the fresh procurement projects. The target vessels include attack submarines, surface combatants, and roll-on/roll-off ships for transporting vehicles and equipment.

Foreign shipyards seeking to participate must build a new U.S. shipyard or acquire majority ownership or control of an existing U.S. shipyard while employing and training American workers. They must also transfer shipbuilding technology and techniques from their home shipyards to U.S. shipyards and establish a supply chain for dry docking and repair in the United States.

If these conditions are met, up to two foreign-built vessels can be dry docked at U.S. shipyards initially. Subsequent vessels must be dry docked in U.S. shipyards. This approach applies to U.S. law that prohibits the overseas dry docking of military vessels but makes an exception for national security. President Trump delegated authority to the Secretary of Defense to determine whether individual dry docking contracts meet the national security exception requirements.

The agreement presents a concrete institutional pathway for the U.S. to allow overseas dry docking for foreign shipyards investing in America and training American workers, marking a shift from previous discussions about "U.S. ships being dry docked in Korea." However, this does not mean that the quantity of dry docked vessels will be immediately allocated; further detailed procurement plans and individual contractor selection procedures will follow.