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. Related episodes: Will Iran block the Strait of Hormuz? The great turnaround in shipping The wide open possibility of the high seas For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . 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. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy