China already has the largest navy in the world with 370 ships. The gap is only growing as China continues to build. The Department of Defense estimates that the Chinese navy will grow to 395 ships by 2025 and 435 ships by 2030. Even the Pentagon’s industrial base strategy acknowledges that China is now “the global powerhouse in shipbuilding and vastly exceeds the capacity of not just the United States, but the combined output of our European and Asian allies as well.”
This is not news to the military or its shills in Congress. The problem is that some advocates are turning towards a well-meaning, but poorly-thought-out solution: Outsource America’s shipbuilding rather than increase investments domestically. That would be a mistake.
America’s private sector also needs more ocean-going ships. According to US government estimates, China has more than 7,300 merchant ships. The US has just 178. In case of emergency, China’s Navy has a vast supply of merchant ships that it can call on, while the US has not prioritized investing in new reserve ship assets since the 1990s.

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/08/outsourcing-the-us-shipyard-industrial-base-will-outsource-american-sovereignty/