We're gonna need a bigger boat-building industry

During World War II, the U.S. shipbuilding industry flourished. Now, it's nearly non-existent. China is the dominant shipbuilder in the world economy. On today's show, we look at what happened to American shipbuilding and the protectionist impulses that could stifle a revival.

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Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Correction:
A previous version of this episode incorrectly said that there are 80 U.S.-flagged ships operating in global shipping. As of March, there were at least 95. The episode also incorrectly said that being U.S.-flagged means a ship was built in an American shipyard and has an American crew. There is no requirement that the ship be built in a U.S. shipyard, and citizenship requirements vary.