The South Korean Ministry of Industry has initiated discussions with the U.S. government regarding tariff exemptions on shipbuilding materials to bolster the Hanwha Philadelphia shipyard's operations in Pennsylvania. This move is part of the 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' (MASGA) project, which aims to enhance cooperation between South Korea and the United States in the shipbuilding sector. During a meeting in Seoul, Industry Minister Park Dong-il emphasized the importance of effective support from Pennsylvania in making the Philadelphia shipyard a key focal point for expanding U.S. shipbuilding capacity.

The Philadelphia shipyard, acquired by Hanwha Ocean from Norway's Aker Group, is currently engaged in building training vessels and medium-sized tankers. With plans to increase its annual production capacity from 1.5 vessels to over 10, the ministry is advocating for expedited administrative processes for construction permits and infrastructure development to meet transportation and power demands. Furthermore, the ministry requests the designation of the Philadelphia area as a Marine Prosperity Zone, which would provide tax incentives for companies investing in shipbuilding-related infrastructure within that region.

Considering the high labor costs in the U.S., the South Korean government stresses the necessity for U.S. government incentives to facilitate efficient ship production. In addition, the ministry proposed cooperation plans linking Korea's support for small shipbuilding and materials exporting companies with the upcoming 'Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation Center'. A ministry official stated that the ongoing MASGA project should lead to mutually beneficial outcomes for both nations, with active negotiations with the U.S. government to create favorable investment conditions for domestic companies.