Seoul: A U.S. senator announced that Congress will examine potential legislative reforms to enhance shipbuilding collaboration with South Korea, following next week's summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. The summit, set to take place in Washington on Monday, is anticipated to address various bilateral issues, including a recent tariff agreement.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) expressed the necessity for reviewing U.S. shipbuilding regulations that currently limit foreign participation. He highlighted the possibility of reforms to streamline processes and increase efficiency in shipbuilding cooperation between the two nations. "There might be some reforms that can make it more efficient, speed the process, and we'll look at that appropriately," Kim stated.
The proposed reforms are connected to South Korea's initiative, "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)," which aims to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding sector through large-scale projects. These projects include constructing new shipyards in the United States and forming partnerships for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations. The recent tariff deal between the two countries is expected to facilitate these initiatives.
However, the path forward is challenging due to existing U.S. laws like the Jones Act and the Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment, which pose legal obstacles to foreign involvement in both commercial and military shipbuilding. Sen. Kim acknowledged these concerns and emphasized the importance of the summit's outcomes in shaping the legislative approach. "I cannot move forward until I have a sense of what comes out from the summit next week," he noted.
The senator also indicated that any proposals for reform would need to be mutually beneficial to both countries to ensure swift progress. "If there are proposals needed for reforms that make sense to both of our countries, I think it could move fast," Kim added. The upcoming summit is expected to provide clarity on these issues and potentially pave the way for legislative action.