Why American merchant-ship investment mattered before entry into the war

What if the United States had not expanded merchant-ship production before entering the Second World War?

The Allies would face a serious transport shortfall because British orders, credit arrangements, and early yards helped create the industrial base that later produced Liberty ships.

American preparation was not a wholly national program before entry into the war. British spending, credit arrangements, and Ocean-class orders helped establish yards associated with Henry Kaiser that later produced Liberty ships at scale. Canada contributed to the same Allied transport effort. Australia even delayed or canceled combatants when merchant hulls were more urgently needed, illustrating that moving forces and supplies could be more valuable than adding another warship.