US, Canada, and Finland introduce ICE Pact

Today, the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Finland announced the formation of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact), a trilateral agreement to collaborate on producing polar icebreakers and enhancing Arctic and polar capabilities. This partnership aims to bolster the shipbuilding industries and industrial capacities of the three nations, strengthen economic and security ties, and foster mutual workforce development, according to a statement from the Biden Administration.

The ICE Pact will initially focus on three components: enhancing information exchange between the United States, Canada, and Finland; collaborating on workforce development; and inviting allies and partners to purchase icebreakers built in American, Canadian, or Finnish shipyards. Recognizing the capital-intensive nature of shipbuilding, the agreement aims to leverage shipyards in each country to construct polar icebreakers for domestic use and export. This strategy seeks to meet the needs of allies and partners efficiently and affordably, while ensuring shipyards maintain robust, long-term orderbooks essential for their success.

As shipyards in the United States, Canada, and Finland invest in expanding their capacities, the ICE Pact encourages allies and partners to buy icebreakers from these experienced builders. The collaboration is expected to help achieve the necessary scale to reduce costs and meet the growing demand for access to polar regions.

By the end of the year, the three countries will develop a joint memorandum of understanding outlining the framework for implementing the ICE Pact within each nation. This memorandum will also establish a mechanism for including additional allies and partners. The process will be guided by regular trilateral consultations.

The U.S. Coast Guard, which requires polar icebreaking capabilities to support the country's economic, commercial, maritime, and national security needs, is currently building new heavy icebreakers under the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) Program. These vessels are designed to operate worldwide and handle extreme environmental conditions, from polar to tropical regions. Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., is constructing the first Polar Security Cutters, marking the first American-built heavy icebreakers in over 50 years. This effort aligns with the President’s commitment to enhance the U.S. surface presence in polar regions.

Bollinger Shipyards expressed enthusiasm for the ICE Pact, highlighting their role as the premier builder of American-made polar icebreakers. In a press release, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, stated, “As the premiere builder of American-made polar icebreakers, Bollinger Shipyards is proud to support the United States and our NATO allies with our deep expertise and capacity… We have made, and will continue to make, significant, long-term investments in our facilities, infrastructure and workforce. Our goal is to create a world-class American-owned shipyard capable of producing the first fleet of American-made polar icebreakers in over half a century, and we’re honored that responsibility lies with Bollinger.”

Bordelon continued, “Our success in reaching this milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees, as well as the strategic initiatives we’ve implemented to expand and grow our workforce and operations. We are incredibly proud that Bollinger Shipyards is a critical part of the industrial base for our military and are honored to play a part in ensuring the national security of our nation.”