Building Ships in America Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Mark Kelly
Introduced
Summary
Revive U.S. shipbuilding and ports by creating large tax credits and related rules to push vessel construction, shipyard investment, and maritime activity into American yards and ports.
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- Shipowners and operators: A new United States Vessel Investment Credit covers a large share of qualified U.S. construction, repowering, or reconstruction costs with a 33% base credit for eligible cargo vessels that commit to operate as U.S. vessels for at least 10 years.
- Shipyards and manufacturers: A Shipyard Investment Tax Credit equals 25% of qualifying shipyard facility investments to support building and repair capacity. The shipyard credit ends for property placed in service after 2032.
- Ports, communities, and funds: Merchant Marine capital construction fund rules are rewritten to set new deposit and staged withdrawal limits, bar funding automation that causes net job loss at terminals, ban purchases of certain cranes from the People’s Republic of China, and create up to 100 Maritime Prosperity Zones as Qualified Opportunity Zones for five years.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Large tax credits for U.S. shipbuilding
If enacted, the bill would create two big tax credits for U.S. shipbuilding. One credit would cover qualified vessel construction and repowering: a 33% base credit plus up to 5% for U.S. protection and indemnity insurance and 2% for U.S. classification, so up to 40%. A second credit would give 25% for qualified shipyard property placed in service. Both credits could be paid out or transferred for cash and would not be reduced by the AMT. The vessel credit requires construction to begin before January 1, 2033 and both apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2025. The vessel credit has a 10-year operating agreement and tight recapture rules if the rules are broken.
Tax breaks for port-area investments
If enacted, the bill would let the Maritime Administrator and the Navy designate up to 100 census tracts as Maritime Prosperity Zones. Those tracts would be treated like Opportunity Zones for five years after designation. Tax-advantaged investment would need to be used substantially in specified maritime industries such as shipbuilding and water freight support. The change takes effect on the bill's enactment date.
Changes to ship construction funds
If enacted, the bill would change rules for Merchant Marine Capital Construction Funds. Deposits and permitted income sources would be expanded. The fund term would shorten to 15 years and staged withdrawals would apply in years 16–20 (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%). Withdrawals could be used for vessels and cargo equipment, but buying fully automated cargo equipment would be barred if it causes a net job loss at a marine terminal. Withdrawals could not buy cranes made in the People’s Republic of China. The changes would apply for taxable years after enactment.
New vessel rules and fuel tax parity
If enacted, the bill would tighten which vessels qualify for tax elections and agreements. Vessels would need specific size, flag, and U.S.-management tests and must enter emergency preparedness or contingency agreements. The bill would redefine qualifying shipping activities to the carriage of goods under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act and remove a prior 30-day domestic-operation limit. The bill would also extend a fuel excise tax exemption to fuel used by certain vessels in Atlantic or Pacific coastal trade for fuel used after December 31, 2025.
Student maritime payments tax-free
If enacted, the bill would exclude from gross income student incentive payments made under the specified maritime student agreement. The exclusion would apply only to payments made after December 31, 2025 and only to students who enter the listed agreement.
Tax-free maritime security payments
If enacted, the bill would exclude certain maritime security payments from gross income for tax years after enactment. Taxpayers could not also claim deductions or credits for the same expenses, and the taxpayer's basis in property would be reduced by the excluded amount to avoid double benefits.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Mark Kelly
AZ • D
Cosponsors
Todd Young
IN • R
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Lisa Murkowski
AK • R
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Tammy Baldwin
WI • D
Sponsored 4/30/2025
John Fetterman
PA • D
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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