The three countries confirm in a new statement that the joint ICE Pact cooperation will be intensified in 2026, focusing on industrial capacity, research, and Arctic security.
Finland, the United States, and Canada signed a joint statement on 18 November to continue supporting the trilateral ICE Pact cooperation. According to Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the initiative, launched in 2024, has already led to joint projects to develop and produce icebreakers in both Canada and the USA.
In a press release from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), investments in new shipyard capacity, skills supply, and American icebreaker purchases are highlighted as parts of a broad industrial policy ambition. During the meeting in Washington, the USA also launched a national workforce development plan linked to the shipbuilding industry, including a new exchange programme for American workers at Finnish shipyards.
– ICE Pact, the historic partnership between the USA, Canada, and Finland, will strengthen our economies, our Arctic defence capability, and help build our icebreaker fleets, says Kristi Noem, US Secretary of Homeland Security, in the press release.
According to Canada's Department of Public Services and Procurement, the deepened cooperation will encompass the entire production chain for icebreakers, including technology development, coordination of export promotion efforts, and security and preparedness aspects. The ICE Pact is described as a central tool for increasing Arctic presence, reducing vulnerabilities in supply chains, and creating employment in maritime industries.
– The icebreaker cooperation creates economic growth in all three countries and improves Arctic security, says Finland's Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto according to the Finnish press release.
The cooperation continues in practice with meetings for national coordinators and an industry forum in Washington this week. According to Canada, further follow-up meetings are planned for 2026.