Maritime Operational & Governance Strategy for Infrastructure Investors with Dr. Beatriz Canamary - Huge Impacts in Energy

The United States faces a critical vulnerability in energy security due to its near-total reliance on foreign-flag vessels for exporting oil and LNG—despite being the world's top producer. Dr. Beatriz Canamary, a maritime expert, argues that this dependency creates a strategic choke point: if adversaries like Iran or China disrupt shipping lanes, the U.S. could be cut off from its own export markets. She traces the decline of U.S. shipbuilding to post-WWII globalization, where efficiency and just-in-time logistics replaced domestic production. Today, the U.S. builds less than 0.4% of global ships, down from over 50% in the 1940s. But a new national strategy is emerging: revitalizing the U.S. maritime industry through innovation, not cost competition. The solution lies in creating predictable cargo demand via strategic trade agreements with allies—securing LNG and oil exports on U.S.-flag vessels. This would stimulate shipbuilding, create jobs, and strengthen national security. Key enablers include nuclear-powered ships, autonomous vessels, floating infrastructure, and the upcoming SHIPS for American Act. Canamary warns that the world is entering a decade of disruption, where ports are no longer just logistics hubs but strategic military assets. Her upcoming book, *Maritime Ports of Tomorrow*, outlines a framework for building resilient, intelligent, and strategically controlled ports through co-opetition, regional clusters, and floating infrastructure.