Sound the alarm: America’s manufacturing prowess, once the envy of the world, is at risk of being outpaced by rivals who build faster and bolder. Last year alone, China’s State Shipbuilding Corporation produced more commercial tonnage than the entire U.S. shipbuilding industry has managed since World War II, as reported in a March 2025 Center for Strategic & International Studies brief.
Beijing now commands more than half of global commercial orders, while our share has dwindled to a tenth of a percent. This disparity isn’t confined to shipyards—it’s a stark signal of eroding economic strength, fragile supply chains and diminished deterrence on the global stage.
During World War II, we relentlessly forged liberty ships and became the Arsenal of Democracy. Today, as modern warfare evolves into an industrial contest—evident in the drone swarms reshaping battlefields in Ukraine—we must reignite freedom’s forge before the next crisis strikes.
China’s booming military-industrial base is closing the gap in critical domains, including a submarine arms race in the Pacific where Beijing’s fleet is growing quieter, faster and more lethal, capable of carrying advanced weapons and sensors while staying submerged longer. Meanwhile, America’s capabilities wither, leaving us vulnerable in an era where production speed determines victory. The decade ahead will belong to the country that can build what it imagines. The time to act is now.
Even vital support networks face headwinds: Recent decisions (which were temporarily reversed) not to renew federal contracts for 10 Manufacturing Extension Partnership programs, which provide technical assistance to small firms, threaten the stability of this nationwide system that last year alone saved manufacturers $2.6 billion, spurred $5 billion in investments and created or retained 108,000 jobs, per National Institute of Standards & Technology estimates reported by IndustryWeek. These programs, operating in every state since 1988, are essential for helping small- and mid-sized manufacturers adopt automation and compete globally—yet their uncertain funding creates another hurdle that must be overcome to reshore production effectively.
Prosperity and security are two sides of the same coin, both minted on the shop floor. Without swift rebuilding, we risk not just economic decline but national vulnerability. Yet amid these threats, glimmers of optimism emerge from proven models that can scale nationwide.
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