{"id":79323,"date":"2026-02-06T23:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T02:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/890189081"},"modified":"2026-02-06T23:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T02:09:00","slug":"labor-department-eases-insurance-rules-for-u-s-shipbuilders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/06\/labor-department-eases-insurance-rules-for-u-s-shipbuilders\/","title":{"rendered":"Labor Department Eases Insurance Rules for U.S. Shipbuilders"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued new guidance easing insurance requirements for shipbuilding<\/a> and other strategically important industries, a regulatory shift aimed at lowering costs across America\u2019s maritime industrial base.<\/p>\n

The guidance lays out a clearer, more structured framework for how insurers calculate security deposit requirements under the Longshore and Harbor Workers\u2019 Compensation Act (LHWCA). By formalizing how risk is assessed, the department says it is reducing unnecessary financial burdens while preserving protections for injured workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we restore America\u2019s maritime and energy dominance, the Department of Labor continues to put American workers\u2019 safety and health first,\u201d Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said. \u201cThese guidelines will protect workers while creating a fairer environment for businesses that do vital work for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the new approach, the department will consider multiple factors when determining insurance security requirements, including an insurer\u2019s financial strength, experience writing LHWCA policies, and track record for paying accepted claims promptly. While the LHWCA has long allowed for reduced security under certain conditions, this marks the first time the department has applied a formal risk- and performance-based framework.<\/p>\n

The LHWCA and its extensions, administered by the Office of Workers\u2019 Compensation Programs, require private-sector employers to provide workers\u2019 compensation coverage for employees in covered maritime roles. Insurers approved to write those policies must post security with the department to cover potential liabilities.<\/p>\n

The move aligns with President Trump\u2019s<\/a> executive order on \u201cRestoring America\u2019s Maritime Dominance<\/a>\u201d and is expected to lower insurance costs for U.S. shipyards, improving their ability to compete with foreign builders.<\/p>\n

The guidance is scheduled for publication in the February 9, 2026 edition of the Federal Register.<\/p>\n

The change comes as the Trump administration is months late rolling out a broader Maritime Action Plan<\/a> to revive domestic shipbuilding. U.S. yards currently account for roughly 0.2% of global ship production, compared with an estimated 74% in China\u2014an imbalance the administration says justifies a coordinated federal response, including new financing tools and incentives to attract private investment.<\/p>\n

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… guidance easing insurance requirements for shipbuilding<\/span> and other strategically important industries … Action Plan to revive domestic shipbuilding<\/span>. U.S. yards currently account …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}