Group 1 - The core point of the article highlights the ongoing US-Japan tariff negotiations, where the US is urging Japan to increase investments in the American manufacturing sector, particularly in shipbuilding [1] - Japan is considering establishing a US-Japan shipbuilding fund to revitalize the American shipbuilding industry, which is deemed crucial for national security [1] - Nomura believes that the current tariff negotiations could inject new vitality into Japan's shipbuilding initiatives, impacting various sectors including shipbuilding and cybersecurity [1] Group 2 - The US shipbuilding industry faces significant challenges, with an average annual delivery of only 18 vessels and a mere 0.1% share of the global market, in stark contrast to China's 70% market share expected by 2024 [3] - The decline in the US shipbuilding sector has severely hindered the expansion and maintenance of the US Navy, leading to increased costs for military vessels compared to China [3] - For instance, the cost of a new US medium landing ship is approximately $429 million, which is over 13 times that of similar Chinese vessels, while the average cost of a US frigate has soared to $1.6 billion, significantly higher than China's 054B frigate [3] Group 3 - The US civilian shipbuilding market is relatively small and lacks competitiveness, making it difficult to rely solely on military vessels to support the entire industry [4] - Despite efforts to revitalize the shipbuilding sector, high labor costs, a shortage of skilled workers, and outdated infrastructure have impeded progress, prompting the US to seek increased investments from Japanese and Korean companies [5] - The complexity of modern shipbuilding supply chains necessitates a comprehensive rebuilding of the entire industry, not just increasing shipyard capacity, which will significantly raise the demand for skilled labor [7] Group 4 - Over the past decade, Japanese shipbuilding companies have seen a significant decline in market competitiveness and share, dropping to about 6% by 2024, while South Korea's share has also decreased to around 17% [7] - Japan's shipbuilding costs are notably higher than those of China and South Korea, compounded by labor shortages and an aging workforce, which limits production capacity [7] - Even with the introduction of Japanese technology and capital, the shortage of skilled workers poses a challenge, making it unlikely to achieve significant reductions in manufacturing costs in the short to medium term [7]