WASHINGTON – The heads of four major labor unions on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to boost American shipbuilding and enforce tariffs and other “strong penalties” against China for its increasing dominance in that sphere.

The presidents of the United Steelworkers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers argue that China’s efforts have hurt American workers and national security.

In a draft of the letter obtained by The Associated Press, they urged Trump to “impose tough penalties against vessels built according to the plans, policies, and actions of the Chinese Communist Party and to adopt complementary policies that rebuild America’s shipbuilding capacity and workforce.”

Last year under President Joe Biden, the unions filed a petition seeking to address China’s shipbuilding under Section 301 of the 1974 U.S. Trade Act, hoping to start a process by which tariffs and other measures could be enacted.

The letter notes China manufactured more than 1,000 ocean-going vessels in 2023, while the United States made fewer than 10 ships. It adds that the Chinese shipbuilding industry received more than $100 billion in government support from 2010 to 2018, such that Chinese shipyards accounted for the majority of worldwide orders last year.

Trump has made control of the Panama Canal and resetting the global terms of trade with tariffs a key priority. But many of his concerns have been directed at U.S. allies such as Canada, Mexico and the European Union, while he has imposed an additional 10% tariff on imports from China due to its role in making the opioid fentanyl.

In January, Trump floated the possibility of more shipbuilding in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, the conservative radio talk show host.

“We don’t build ships anymore,” Trump said. “We want to get that started. And maybe we’ll use allies, also, in terms of building ships. We might have to.”

In a Fox News Channel interview that aired Tuesday night, Trump noted the decline in American shipbuilding and indicated he wanted that to change.

“We don’t build the way we used to build. Yeah, we used to build like a ship a day, and now to build a ship is like a big deal,” he said. “And we’re going to get this country back on track.”

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