Finland, United States and Canada on Tuesday signed a Joint Statement of Intent (JSOI) in Washington to enhance trilateral cooperation in producing and maintaining world-class icebreakers for Arctic operations, official sources said.
Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Canadian Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement Joel Lightbound signed the JSOI on behalf of their respective countries.
The agreement aims to strengthen industrial cooperation among the three nations to build and maintain their icebreaker fleets, support domestic shipbuilding industries, and assert their capabilities and sovereignty in the polar and Arctic regions, said Public Services and Procurement Canada in a press release.
Key priorities outlined in the JSOI include enhancing collaboration across all stages of production, launching trilateral workforce development initiatives, aligning international promotion and cooperation activities, as well as advancing joint research and development frameworks.
Officials from the three countries are set to meet to outline actionable steps to achieve the JSOI's objectives, with follow-up meetings planned for next year.
The agreement builds upon the broader Icebreaker Collaboration Effort Pact signed last year.
In November 2024, officials representing the governments of Finland, Canada and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers.
The MoU was signed following the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact signed by President Alexander Stubb, his US counterpart Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau in Washington in July, 2024.
In October, 2025 Finland and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on icebreaker cooperation.
Earlier in January 2025, United States President Donald Trump announced to order 40 icebreakers for his country focusing on building a big, new American icebreaker fleet.
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Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
