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Why the U.S. can't build icebreaking ships

I want to say thank you to all the people who sent condolences following last week’s post, especially those who shared their own stories of loss.

By shipping goods through shorter, previously inaccessible Arctic Ocean routes, China could potentially reduce its ocean-based transportation costs by 40%, saving hundreds of billions of dollars per year. The hull and ship structure must be strong enough to withstand the impact of ice, and a heavily reinforced “ ice-belt,” often made of special high-strength steel, is installed near the level of the waterline. As a result, icebreaking can be added to the list of things like dredging and offshore wind turbine installation: areas that have been shackled to America’s inefficient shipbuilding industry and have inflicted costs on the country in the process.

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