WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Steel Manufacturers Association and other organizations in the American steel industry sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging the inclusion of bipartisan shipbuilding language in the final FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act.

Growing domestic shipbuilding capacity is essential to U.S. economic and national security. From resilient supply chains to maintaining a skilled maritime workforce necessary for defense, support for this critical industry will strengthen America in the face of global disruptions.

The maritime industrial base reaches far beyond the shipyard. American steel mills supply the essential material needed for our nation’s civil and military fleets. Investments in domestic shipbuilding will ripple through the supply chain, benefitting America’s steelmakers and their communities.

American ships mean American steel. Pro-shipbuilding policies proposed in the SHIPS for America Act and other legislation are an investment in our nation’s steel industry. The NDAA is the right vehicle to move this language forward. We urge Congress to act and include it in the final bill.

Read the full letter here.