Overview

• President Lee Jae Myung used the Philadelphia stop to publicly back the MASGA plan and deepen Korea–U.S. shipbuilding cooperation after his summit with President Donald Trump.
• Hanwha, which bought the yard for about $100 million in 2024, said it aims to invest up to $5 billion and boost output from roughly 1.5 ships a year toward as many as 20 by adding docks and expanding capacity.
• The NSMV ‘State of Maine’ was christened as the third of five Maritime Administration training vessels built in Philadelphia for peacetime instruction and emergency response.
• Trump said the United States will buy Korean ships and build vessels with Korean partners in U.S. yards, while the late-July framework keeps a 15 percent tariff on South Korean goods.
• Officials highlighted new cooperation steps including 11 non-binding company agreements, HD Hyundai’s partnership with Cerberus and Samsung Heavy’s tie-up with Vigor Marine, even as policy, supply and workforce constraints remain.