Bringing ‘manufacturing renaissance’ to US: HD Hyundai, Cerberus, KDB to help revitalize US maritime capabilities

August 26, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

South Korean conglomerate HD Hyundai, Korea Development Bank (KDB) and American alternative investment firm Cerberus Capital Management have decided to enter into a strategic partnership to launch a new multi-billion-dollar maritime investment program.

As explained, the private-sector initiative, Cerberus Maritime, seeks to advance the U.S. Government’s commitment to rebuilding America’s maritime industrial base.

It makes the first milestone in the ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)’ vision.

Specifically, the strategy aims to identify high-impact opportunities that strengthen strategic maritime infrastructure and supply chains, maritime logistics infrastructure, port modernization, and advanced maritime technologies. It will have a particular focus on U.S. shipbuilding.

HD Hyundai will serve as an anchor investor to the strategy and act as a technical and industrial partner, bringing its expertise in shipbuilding, marine engineering, and digital maritime solutions. In addition to providing investment diligence and strategic insights, HD Hyundai intends to explore opportunities for collaboration related to U.S. shipyards, ports, and maritime technology.

This strategic partnership is said to be aligned with HD Hyundai’s commitment to the U.S.-Korea alliance and supporting the future of U.S. and allied shipbuilding.

In addition, Korea Development Bank (KDB) has recognized the strategic alignment between this initiative and national objectives and intends to facilitate investments into the Cerberus Maritime strategy, further supporting collaboration between the maritime industries of the United States and Korea and encouraging the sharing of best practices and technical capabilities.

Cerberus has experience partnering with companies and transforming infrastructure assets to promote supply chain integrity and the national interests of the United States and allied nations.

In 2022, Cerberus acquired the previously distressed Subic Bay shipyard, a deep-water port strategically located in Southeast Asia. Since that time, the shipyard has been revitalized into a multi-use facility for shipbuilding, subsea infrastructure, and logistics operations.

HD Hyundai, a key tenant, has successfully enhanced shipbuilding operations at the facility. In addition to Subic Bay, Cerberus has made other significant investments in maritime assets and capabilities, including in port infrastructure, critical subsea fiber optic systems, and sonobuoy and related maritime defense systems.

“We’re proud to announce this first-of-its kind partnership that brings together the strengths of Cerberus and HD Hyundai to support this historic commitment to revitalizing the U.S. maritime sector. We believe our strategy can play an important role by bringing investments alongside operational and technical capabilities to high-impact opportunities. We would like to thank the White House and the entire bipartisan effort to advance maritime reindustrialization in the United States and allied nations, and we are extremely grateful for the strong support from South Korea and their bold commitment to MASGA,” Frank Bruno, Cerberus CEO, commented.

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“We believe that our partnership with Cerberus Capital will not only provide tangible support for MASGA, which aims to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry, but also create new markets and growth opportunities for Korean shipbuilders. Leveraging our proven expertise and digital capabilities, HD Hyundai will support the modernization of U.S. shipbuilding and work with both nations to shape a new chapter in the global shipbuilding industry,” Chung Kisun, HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman, said.

“This investment program is a visionary model of cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, and a manifestation of the enduring trust and partnership between Korea and the United States. As a representative of the Korean financial industry, KDB is proud to play a central role in supporting this investment imperative to ensure its success,” Kim Bock-kyu, KDB Vice Chairman & COO, added.

To remind, in July 2025, South Korea pledged $150 billion into a dedicated United States shipbuilding rejuvenation fund, as part of a much larger, $350 billion bilateral trade agreement with Washington. According to the South Korean government, the deal will aim to breathe new life into the American vessel construction industry, in return for a lower tariff rate of 15%. Prior to this, President Donald Trump’s administration had plans to impose 25% “reciprocal” tariffs on Korean imports, starting on August 1.

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The MOU represents the first tangible outcome of Korea-US cooperation in the shipbuilding sector following the bilateral summit. The US President Donald Trump is currently on a mission to rejuvenate American shipbuilding and ‘restore its former glory’. To note, China remains the world’s top shipbuilding nation, currently building more than 60 percent of the ships ordered globally.

Meanwhile, Hanwa Group, another South Korean shipbuilder that belongs to the ‘big three’ yards in the country, said it would invest $5 billion to boost its Philly Shipyard’s annual capacity. The announcement comes several months after Hanwa Ocean completed the acquisition of the Philly Shipyard. Now, the shipbuilding giant aims to expand production facilities and kick off technology and know-how transfer.

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