PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In the U.S.’s ongoing global economic dogfight with China, the Philly Shipyard has been touted as a model for the revitalization of the country’s merchant marine infrastructure. Two members of Congress toured its training facility on Tuesday, and called it a matter of economic viability and national security.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona says the U.S. pales in comparison to China when it comes to its merchant marine fleet.
“China is an adversary of ours. They’re also a competitor, and our economies are competitors,” he said. “We have about 80 ocean-going merchant vessels with U.S. crew members, flying the U.S. flag. China has 5,500.”
As a former merchant mariner, Kelly said the problem goes back decades and could have grave consequences should the U.S. ever get into a global conflict. “We’ve got to get our combat power across oceans,” he said, “and we can only do that if we have a very viable and robust merchant marine, which we do not have now.”
It’s why Kelly introduced the SHIPS for America Act last year to bolster production of merchant marine vessels through financial incentives while also establishing more oversight. It’s also why he toured a training center run by Hanwha, the South Korean company that now owns the yard, alongside Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, who represents Delaware County in the U.S. House.
“There’s a lot of work to be done here,” said Scanlon. “We’re excited about the SHIPS Act, a bipartisan, bicameral act and we’re looking forward to pushing that through.”
The timeline for the SHIPS Act is unclear, but Kelly also expressed optimism at its eventual passage.
“We think it’s great for not just the industry and our company, for the country, for the national security implications it has as well,” said Shipyard CEO David Kim. “When that passes, I promise you we will be ready as the Hanwha Philly Shipyard and be there.”