DHS Hosts Icebreaker Collaboration Effort Pact Ministerial Meeting to Advance Arctic Security and Maritime Dominance

This initiative will help create good, well-paying manufacturing jobs for Americans

WASHINGTON – Today, 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.

The Ministerial Meeting is the latest development in the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact, a joint effort between the three nations to strengthen Arctic security, carry out President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order to revitalize the U.S. maritime industrial base, and rebuild America’s icebreaker fleet to enable the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to defend our interests in the Arctic.

“Today, we marked a major milestone in the race to secure the Arctic against our adversaries,” said Secretary Noem. “ICE Pact, the historic trilateral partnership between the United States, Canada, and Finland, will power our economies with good jobs, strengthen our collective Arctic defense, and bring us one step closer to rebuilding our icebreaker fleets. Under President Trump, we are finally asserting our Arctic dominance.”

During the meeting, Secretary Noem announced the U.S. National Workforce Development Plan, which will leverage ICE Pact partner’s expertise to propel American workers into secure, well-paying manufacturing and shipbuilding jobs while helping to rebuild our industrial base.

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. 

The ICE Pact is key to the United States Coast Guard’s strategy to rebuild its ageing icebreaker fleet. These icebreakers are necessary to enable navigation in the Arctic region, where America’s adversaries are building a major military presence.

Due to the neglect of previous administrations, America’s Arctic capabilities have fallen far behind countries like Russia and China. ICE Pact enables the United States, Canada, and Finland to remedy this slow-moving crisis by building best-in-class Arctic and polar icebreakers and supporting allies and partners with affordable, high-quality vessels.

Through ICE Pact, the Trump Administration is delivering the largest and most transformative Arctic and maritime investment in U.S. history, reclaiming America’s rightful place as the world’s preeminent Arctic power.

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