x1025 | Issue #10
The SHIPS for America Act was first introduced back in April 2025 — a bipartisan bill designed to rebuild the US-flag international fleet, strengthen American shipyards, and grow the maritime workforce . For over a year, it sat in committee. That changed on July 22, when the House folded a significant chunk of the bill into the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800), passing it 216–212.
Two amendments carried the weight: the Kelly Amendment, which brought in SHIPS for America's core provisions, and the Ezell Amendment, which went further than the original bill ever did.
Here's what the two amendments mean for the industry:
Government cargo now has nowhere to hide.
The Kelly Amendment raises the government cargo-preference requirement from 50% to 100% — every eligible government-impelled shipment must now move on a US-flagged vessel.
Private commercial cargo moving on international fleet gets impacted.
For the first time, a preference-style requirement extends beyond government cargo into private commercial international trade — starting with containerized and roll-on/roll-off imports. It phases in gently, from 2% in year one up to 15% by year 22.
It goes to the senate next.
A formal conference is expected around September 2026 . Senator Todd Young says momentum is on their side, but Senate Democrats' opposition to the broader $1.14 trillion NDAA topline, tangled up with unrelated Iran-war politics, could be challenging.
To sum it up - more demand for American tonnage and crew while the supply remain uncertain.
One natural follow-up: how does this compare to the Jones Act. Different lane, often confused — maybe a story for next time.
Industry briefing - 1 of 2
ZeroNorth Launches Propel — an Agentic AI Partner for Maritime Operations
Cargill, Ultrabulk, and CMB.TECH signed on as launch partners. It's one of the clearest signs yet that "agentic AI" — systems that act, not just analyze — is moving from pitch decks into live commercial shipping operations .
Industry briefing - 2 of 2
ABS and Samsung Heavy Industries Advance 50 MW and 200 MW Floating Data Center Designs
It builds on the wave of floating-data-center announcements this year (Optimal Transit's Kraaken, MOL's conversion concept) and signals the space is scaling toward serious utility-grade capacity rather than one-off pilots.
A Final Note
"There is immense potential to move towards operations that are more connected, continuous and precise, where technology takes on more of the coordination work and people can focus their judgement where it creates the greatest value."