US Senator Admits China's Shipbuilding Capacity 230 Times Greater Than America's
The United States is facing a harsh reality in the maritime sector. As China’s shipbuilding industry has surged to possess a production capacity approximately 230 times larger than that of the United States, the Uncle Sam’s ability to build and repair ships continues to decline due to a lack of investment over several decades.
This stern warning was delivered by Republican Senator from Montana, Tim Sheehy, in an interview with Fox News recently. The former Navy SEAL assessed that the gap in shipbuilding capabilities between the United as and China has now reached an alarming level and has the potential to threaten US national security.
According to Sheehy, it is not only China’s ship production capacity that far exceeds America’s. The ship repair process in Chinese shipyards is also considered to be much faster, while American facilities continue to struggle with capacity and labour shortages.
He assessed that the decline of the American shipbuilding industry did not happen overnight. For decades, Washington is deemed to have enjoyed peace too much, thereby reducing investment in this strategic industry. As a result, many shipyards have been closed or repurposed, while parts of the heavy industry have moved abroad.
“Over the last 30 years, we have lost much of our industrial capability,” said Sheehy, while emphasising that rebuilding the shipbuilding industry is far more difficult than increasing military strength in other sectors.
In his view, building warships is not merely about ordering steel or engines. The industry relies on an extensive supplier network, massive infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce that takes years to develop. Therefore, the lag that has persisted for decades cannot be rectified in a short period of time.
This condition leaves America facing significant challenges as China continues to expand its naval fleet, supported by a shipbuilding industry capable of producing ships on a massive scale. The difference in production capacity, reaching approximately 230 to 1, demonstrates the industrial capability gap that now separates the two nations.
Sheehy’s warning comes as the administration of President Donald Trump makes the resurgence of the maritime industry one of its strategic priorities. In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order to launch the Maritime Action Plan (MAP), which aims to expand both commercial and military shipbuilding capacity, strengthen domestic supply chains, and prepare a new workforce for the shipbuilding sector.