New trilateral arrangement formalizes collaboration on the production of Arctic and polar icebreakers
WASHINGTON – Officials representing the Governments of the United States, Canada, and Finland today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin working together to develop world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers through the exchange of knowledge, information, and resources in each of our countries. Today’s landmark MOU builds off the launch of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact by Prime Minister Trudeau, President Stubb, and President Biden on the margins of the NATO Washington Summit in July.
In signing the ICE Pact MOU, we have embarked on a transformative partnership that strengthens our ability to uphold international rules and maintain security in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. By jointly developing and producing world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers, we are laying the foundation for a resilient and competitive shipbuilding industry, capable of meeting both national and global demand for these critical assets. This arrangement underscores our collective commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Arctic and polar regions, and is a testament to the strength of allied cooperation in addressing strategic challenges.
Each of our nations recognizes the need to enhance our Arctic and polar icebreaking capabilities to assert our collective presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Building these specialized vessels at a faster pace, on a larger scale, and at competitive costs is a shared priority as we uphold safety and security in these strategically important areas.
The ICE Pact includes four components: 1) enhanced information exchange between the United States, Canada, and Finland; 2) workforce development collaboration; 3) engagement with allies and partners, and; 4) research and development. Given the high costs of shipbuilding, long-term orders are essential for shipyard success in each of our countries. The collective investment in our domestic shipyards has the potential to scale production and reduce the cost of Arctic and polar icebreakers for our own use and for our allies and partners.
By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, the MOU will facilitate knowledge, information, and resource sharing with shipyards, with the potential to create high-quality manufacturing jobs in the maritime infrastructure industry. ICE Pact will help provide the stability necessary to support the production of Arctic and polar icebreakers and strengthen our shipbuilding industries.