Joint Statement of Intent

On November 18, 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem hosted Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kristen Hillman and Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto in Washington, D.C., where all three countries committed to doubling-down on their efforts to revitalize their domestic shipbuilding industries and growing their icebreaker fleets.

Secretary Noem, Ambassador Hillman, and Minister Puisto celebrated the achievements of the ICE Pact partnership and signed a Joint Statement of Intent to continue the partnership into 2026. The Ministers also celebrated the ICE Pact's accomplishments in 2025, which include:

• Workforce Development: Coordinating with the Department of Labor to establish an $8 million grant to develop an International Shipbuilding Fellowship, which funds opportunities for U.S. workers to travel to and learn from working on Finnish shipyards.
• Industrial Cooperation: A $1 billion investment by a Canadian shipbuilder Davie to acquire and modernize U.S. shipyard assets in Texas for domestic icebreaker production.
• Efficient Icebreaker Acquisition: Using the ICE Pact framework to implement President Trump's October Memorandum on Arctic Security Cutters, using innovative strategies like the Acquisitions Learning Forum to reduce costs and accelerate delivery timelines for polar icebreakers. So far, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has already acquired and commissioned the Cutter Storis, the first polar icebreaker acquired by the United States Coast Guard in 25 years.
• Research and Development: Collaborative efforts to leverage scientific investments for Arctic maritime operations, with joint projects advancing technologies in ice navigation, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring.

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