> Why would the USA maintain a merchant fleet if it not economically feasible? Basically the same reason Japan subsidizes grain production or why Sweden doesn'

> Why would the USA maintain a merchant fleet if it not economically feasible? Basically the same reason Japan subsidizes grain production or why Sweden doesn't buy its fighter jets from Russia. Sure, it'd be cheaper to import, but it's also a vulnerability. It would make America dependent on foreign powers for the shipping of goods vital to the economy and even national security. How do you move oil to Hawaii and military hardware to Guam if foreign carriers decide to embargo the USA?