Canada signs joint statement of intent with Finland and United States to advance Icebreaker Collaboration Effort
November 18, 2025 - Washington, D.C.
The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact is a trilateral agreement between Canada, Finland and the United States (US) to enhance our collective capabilities to produce world-class icebreaking vessels needed to assert our polar and Arctic sovereignty. With the second-largest icebreaking fleet in the world and shipyards experienced in building icebreakers, Canada’s expertise in Arctic and polar capabilities is essential to the success of the ICE Pact.
Today, on behalf of the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, Kirsten Hillman, the Ambassador of Canada to the US, joined Kristi Noem, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, and Sakari Puisto, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, to sign a joint statement of intent (JSOI).
The JSOI strengthens industrial cooperation among the 3 nations, aiming to build and maintain icebreakers and related capabilities while supporting domestic shipbuilding industries and creating well-paying jobs in the marine sector. By pooling expertise and resources, Canada, the US and Finland are expanding their icebreaker fleets to better address Arctic challenges.
Key priorities under the JSOI include:
enhancing industrial collaboration across all stages of icebreaker production
launching trilateral workforce development initiatives
aligning international promotion and cooperation activities
advancing joint research and development frameworks
Officials from all 3 countries will also meet to outline actionable steps to achieve the JSOI objectives, with follow-up meetings planned next year to track progress. An Industry Day on November 20 will further engage private-sector partners in this collaborative effort.
Since the 2024 memorandum of understanding, the 3 countries have built a strong foundation for partnership, including the US icebreaker fleet renewal initiative launched in October 2025, which involves Canadian and Finnish shipyards. The JSOI builds on this momentum, ensuring coordinated action and concrete progress on the ICE Pact vision.
Quotes
“Today’s joint statement of intent is a significant step in strengthening the trilateral partnership between Canada, the US and Finland. By collaborating on the development of world-class icebreakers, we are not only reinforcing our Arctic capabilities but also investing directly in Canada’s shipbuilding sector, supporting skilled jobs, and advancing innovation in critical marine technologies. This partnership ensures Canada is strategically prepared to address emerging Arctic challenges, while showing that our domestic industries and expertise are central to security, economic growth and long-term prosperity.”
The Honourable Joël Lightbound
Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
“This is an important moment for the ICE Pact partners to connect and align priorities for 2026. By agreeing to enhance our coordination through a joint statement of intent, we are upholding Arctic security, growing our marine industries and supporting our interests in the Arctic for the benefit of all 3 countries.”
The Honourable Stephen Fuhr
Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
Quick facts
The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort Pact is a trilateral agreement between Canada, Finland and the US to strengthen the 3 countries’ abilities to design, build and market best-in-class Arctic and polar vessels, which are needed to ensure these regions remain peaceful, cooperative and prosperous.
Recognizing the enduring importance of these regions to our collective economic, climate and national security, the partnership aims to deepen existing cooperation, expand our shipbuilding industries, allow new equipment and capabilities to be developed quickly, and engage other allies and partners to help meet future global demand for Arctic and polar vessels.
ICE Pact officials have met regularly to advance the objectives of the trilateral agreement. This includes in-person meetings in March and June 2025, which took place in Helsinki and Ottawa, respectively.
In spring 2025, Canada published a request for information (RFI) on the implementation of the ICE Pact. The RFI identified important information about the Canadian shipbuilding industry’s technical expertise, infrastructure and workforce capacity to build Arctic and polar vessels. Respondents emphasized readiness and a strong interest in industrial and technical collaboration across the partner countries.
In October 2025, the US selected a multi-purpose icebreaker design developed by Seaspan and Aker Arctic for 6 of its new Arctic security cutters. Chantier Davie, working through its shipyards in Finland and the US, will contribute to the fleet renewal by building 5 icebreakers.
Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), Canada is building 2 new polar icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. The new icebreakers will play an integral role in strengthening Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and represent an important investment in our Arctic and polar defence and security.
As of September 2025, Canada has signed approximately $54 billion in NSS contracts across the country. It is estimated that NSS contracts awarded between 2012 and 2024 have contributed close to $38.7 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product and created or maintained more than 21,400 jobs annually over the 2012 to 2025 period.
The Arctic and the North are home to 150,000 Canadians and generations of Indigenous communities. With new icebreakers and agreements like the ICE Pact and Our North, Strong and Free, Canada is investing in defence and security to protect our country, our continent and the rules-based international order.
Noah Note: Updates like this are nice, even if it is just more of the same. It shows the initative and that things are still moving along. The Ice Pact remains one of the more successful recent agreements, of which the benefits are slowly starting to roll in.
You can read my opinion on the matter here if you missed it. Im quite bullish on the ICE Pact amd what it brings. I believe it has already delivered to us well. Further cooperation is welcomed, and I welcome the progress towards future agreements.
Although it would be nice to see what the JSOI actually says…
Can I just offer a smidge of doubt that “trilateral” means what we would like it to mean? Here is a Bollinger quote from August with emphasis added by me. It seems to express a certain mindset.
“I am proud to represent the only shipbuilder in the United States in Bollinger Shipyards that has the capability, capacity and expertise to begin construction on these critical vessels on day one that will project American power and dominance in the Arctic.”