WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation is directing $35.1 million to 45 shipyards across 24 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands for equipment, infrastructure and workforce projects, a funding round the department says reflects a 300% increase in the federal program for 2026 as the Trump administration seeks to expand domestic maritime capacity.
The awards are being distributed through the Maritime Administration, or MARAD, and target smaller shipyards that build and repair commercial vessels and support the broader U.S. maritime industry.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy attributed the larger funding pool to President Donald Trump’s executive order on restoring U.S. maritime dominance. The department did not provide the program’s prior-year funding level in its release.
“The 300% increase in this program will fund cutting-edge equipment, major facility upgrades, and new training programs for the next generation of maritime workers,” Duffy said.
Individual grants span capital equipment, berth improvements and worker training.
Gulf Marine Repair Corp. in Tampa, Florida, will receive about $1.01 million for training-center equipment, wheel loaders and upgrades to three berths in its south slip.
Robert E. Derecktor Inc. in Mamaroneck, New York, was awarded $1 million for an offshore marine crane, while Carlisle & Bray Hebron Shipyard in Hebron, Kentucky, will receive $991,565 for a floating drydock.
Signet Maritime Corp. in Pascagoula, Mississippi, will receive $387,745 for equipment including a plasma cutting table, welding tractors, a crane and a vertical tilt-frame bandsaw.
Safe Boats International LLC in Bremerton, Washington, was awarded about $321,474 for 17 welding machines for an aluminum welding and fabrication training program.
MARAD Administrator Stephen M. Carmel said the investments are intended to strengthen both the maritime economy and national readiness by increasing the capacity of domestic shipyards and their workforces.
The awards also support the administration’s Maritime Action Plan, according to the department.
The funding comes as the administration seeks to increase U.S. shipbuilding and repair capabilities through federal investment and policy changes aimed at strengthening the domestic maritime industrial base.
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