Former Maersk executive Stephen Carmel has been tapped by the Trump administration to serve as head of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) after Brent Sadler's nomination for the post was pulled.

No reason was given for the switch, but Sadler, a retired US Navy Captain initially nominated in March to head MARAD, said on social media he supports Carmel.

The White House announced on Tuesday that it would nominate Carmel as MARAD administrator. Carmel is currently president of US Marine Management, a Norfolk, Virginia-based maritime services provider to commercial and military fleets. Until September 2023, he served as senior vice president at Maersk Line Limited, the shipping line's US-flag subsidiary.

The MARAD administrator role has been vacant since January, when Ann Phillips resigned.

MARAD, part of the US Department of Transportation, is responsible for US waterways, as well as supporting the US Maritime Service and US Merchant Marine.

Carmel's nomination comes amid a push by the Trump administration to revitalize US shipbuilding, with a planned set of fees targeting Chinese-built ships due to come into force in October. The revenue from those fees is meant to be channeled into a trust fund supporting US maritime activity.