Trump 2.0 and the Role of US Commercial Fleet and Coast Guard in the Resurgence of US Maritime Power

Introduction 

The America First agenda of the Second Trump administration has reverberated in International Affairs, exemplified by the announcement of the high tariffs on other nations through the America First Trade Policy on January 20th, 2025. On the contrary, less attention is paid to how this America First agenda has implications for US maritime power, known globally, centred on its naval power as an essential component of the enduring nature of US Superpower status since the end of the Second World War up until today. Recent policies and strategic documents suggest changes are on the way towards a new outlook on US Maritime Power from the Second Trump Administration in line with the America First Agenda. Contrary to general expectations, this article argues that Trump 2.0 will mark the resurgence of US maritime power based upon its commercial fleet and US Coast Guard rather than the traditional emphasis on its naval fleet. These changes suggest the beginning of substantial shifts in US maritime strategy from a dominant military naval strategy towards an integrated approach incorporating commercial maritime economy considerations into its overall maritime strategy.  

Trump 2.0 and US Commercial Fleet in the Revival of US Maritime Power 

The 2024 US Congressional Guidance for A National Maritime Strategy: Reversing the Decline of America`s Maritime Power document, written by President Trump's inner cabinet circle, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, provides a valuable starting point for discussion. In particular, the reference to the revitalization of US domestic shipbuilding Industries and the strengthening of US-flagged international fleet suggests greater incorporation of a commercial civilian shipping component into the overall US maritime strategy, previously dominated and accentuated by the US Blue Water Navy and its Carrier Strike Group global power projection capabilities. From a strategic perspective, it exemplifies an inclination towards restoring America's maritime power through strengthening its maritime economy, centered on the reinvigoration of its maritime industries and commercial shipping fleet. 

These changes in US maritime strategy are clearly articulated in President Trump's Executive Order on April 9, 2025, highlighting the focus on rebuilding America`s maritime industries and commercial shipping by developing a Maritime Action Plan. A more significant bureaucratic policy development can be seen in establishing an Office of Maritime and Industrial Capacity in the US National Security Council. These policy-level changes in the US Maritime Strategy are also supplemented by recent changes at the regulatory level, such as the enactment of the 2024 Ships for America Act. The 2024 SHIPS Act implies that all goods transported between US ports must be carried by US-flagged vessels. Consequently, these changes suggest a new outlook on US maritime strategy, which is on the horizon and may have global implications not only on the maritime geopolitics between the US and China, but more importantly, on maritime security and defense relations with its allies and potential adversaries.         

The Expanding  Role of the US Coast Guard

Although the emphasis on US Maritime Strategy under Trump 2.0 seems to be on rebuilding America`s commercial shipping fleet, the strategic status of the US Navy, exemplified in its aircraft carrier strike group fleet, remains unchanged. More importantly, it will be strengthened with the expansion of the role of the US Coast Guard. The rise in prominence of the US Coast Guard in the US Global Maritime Strategy is attributed to several domestic and international factors. First, increasing use of maritime grey-zone operations by actors in contested areas such as the South China Sea has re-stressed the efficacy of white-hulled ships over grey-hulled ships due to their maritime law enforcement nature. The potential contribution of the US Coast Guard in contested maritime hotspots within the maritime Indo-Pacific has previously been highlighted by the Commander of the US Coast Guard in the Pacific, Vice-Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, who highlighted the expansion of US Coast Guard presence and engagement with like-minded partners to contribute towards a free and open and secure Indo-Pacific. 

Second, the Trump administration's emphasis on border security and the protection of its offshore mineral resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone, vindicated by US Executive Order no.141 on Securing Our Borders and US Executive Order on 24 April 2025 on the protection of America's offshore critical mineral resources, has naturally heightened the strategic importance and role of the US Guard. As an illustration, to detect and deter illegal migrants from entering the nation, the US Coast Guard and its assets have been heavily involved in US waters off Florida, the Gulf of America, as well as the US Territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The US Coast Guard Force Posture 2028 document, which was recently announced in April 2025, reflects these greater roles and responsibilities of the US Coast Guard in protecting its littoral maritime space. According to the Force Posture 2028 document, the Trump administration is planning a transformation of the organization, which includes restructuring the headquarters and command control mechanism and improving technology information systems. The recently proposed bill no. S1190 on the US Coast Guard Improvement Act 2025, which includes the establishment of the position of the US Secretary of the Coast Guards with similar authority power as the US Secretary of the Navy, is a further reaffirmation of the intention of the second Trump administration to give a higher role and responsibilities towards the US Coast Guards. 

Conclusion     

To conclude, although President Trump may be considered one of the most controversial presidents in US history, it remains to be seen and inconclusive whether the proposed changes to US national maritime strategy under Trump 2.0 may yield surprising results in terms of the maintenance of US sea power dominance in the international system. At the very least, it is undoubtedly a welcome step towards developing a more integrated and comprehensive US national maritime strategy in the future. More importantly, it signals to friends and foes alike that the maritime dimension of the America First Agenda, centred on the maritime economy, is beginning to shape up and may look different from previous US administrations.

*** The views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Journal of Maritime and Territorial Studies or Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies. ***