About this episode

Jacob Shapiro discusses the shipping industry with J Mintzmyer, exploring its stagnation and the geopolitical implications.

Jacob sits down with J Mintzmyer of Value Investors Edge for a shipping deep-dive (but of course it's a geopolitics lesson in disguise). Mintzmyer argues the industry has barely changed in eleven years, most of the efficiency gains, double hulls, eco-designed vessels, LNG boil-off fixes, were locked in over a decade ago, leaving only regulation to move the needle. The two dig into why the US lost shipbuilding to Japan, Korea, and now China, how the Jones Act complicates the picture, and why America's real shot at relevance lies in owning and financing vessels, not building them. -- Timestamps: (00:00) - Welcome and Setup (01:20) - Meet J Mintzmyer (02:38) - Shipping for Dummies (06:24) - How Shipping Demand Works (08:30) - Has Shipping Changed (16:48) - US Shipbuilding Decline (26:14) - Tonnage Tax Loophole (27:15) - Make US Shipping Competitive (27:54) - Finance Incentives Not Sanctions (28:56) - Why US Shipbuilding Lags (31:31) - China Shipbuilding Dominance (44:36) - Automation And Future Innovation -- Referenced in the Show: Twitter: https://x.com/mintzmyer Website: www.vieresearch.com Box book: https://www.amazon.com/Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller-Economy/dp/0691170819…

People in this episode

Host: Jacob Shapiro

Guest: J Mintzmyer

Topics covered

• shipping industry
• geopolitics
• US shipbuilding
• international trade
• regulation
• economic efficiency

Keywords

• shipping
• geopolitics
• US shipbuilding
• efficiency gains
• Jones Act
• China shipbuilding
• automation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Value Investors Edge, Twitter, www.vieresearch.com

Products: Box

Books & works: Box: Shipping Container and the Smaller Economy

Places: China, US, Japan, Korea

More episodes of The Jacob Shapiro Podcast

• Geography is Destiny: China, The Global South, & Energy · July 21, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Why Is China Bad at Soccer? · July 19, 2026 · 1h 11m
• Frontlines: Ukraine, Iran, oil markets, and what the World Cup reveals about global politics · July 9, 2026 · 50 min
• Is The War Over? · July 2, 2026 · 59 min
• The Cartel Math Isn't Mathing · June 22, 2026 · 56 min
• Crosspost: Frontlines "Hormuz to AI" · June 18, 2026 · 41 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Jacob Shapiro Podcast podcast page.