| Icebreaker Collaboration Effort | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Finnish President Alexander Stubb, U.S President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. | |
| Type | Tripartite treaty |
| Signed | 11 July 2024 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. United States |
| Original signatories | |
| Signatories | |
| Languages | |
The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, commonly referred to as the ICE Pact, is a trilateral partnership between the United States, Canada and Finland.[1] The ICE Pact was formed on 11 July 2024 in Washington, D.C.[2] The ICE Pact is a partnership in efforts to bolster shipbuilding capacities and industries, especially the enhancing of icebreaker ship production capacity in Canada and Finland, and to counter the influence of the Russian Federation and China in the Arctic region.[3][4]
The United States formed the ICE Pact to strengthen the United States Coast Guard and to accelerate icebreaker shipbuilding for itself and allies with assistance from Finland and Canada.[5][6] The country of manufacture is yet to be determined; US rules currently require navy ships to be manufactured in the United States, but not privately owned ships[7] (though there are Jones Act restrictions on transport services). Canada has contracted for one heavy icebreaker from Seaspan in British Columbia and plans to contract a second from Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec,[8]. Canada has contracted 16 icebreaking multipurpose vessels from Seaspan (currently in functional design as of August 2024 with detailed design starting in the first half of 2025) and 6 medium icebreakers from Davie (initial contract was awarded in March 2024).[9] Finland has "know-how"; Helsinki Shipyard has built more than half of the world's icebreakers.[10][11] The US has an overall goal of 70-90 Arctic-capable ships built within a decade.[12][13] Canada is mainly to help with the ramping up and scaling of icebreaker ship building capacity.[13]
- ^ "Finland, US, Canada to intensify icebreaker collaboration". dailyfinland. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Uusi-Hakala, Katja (11 July 2024). "Joint Statement on ICE Pact". Presidentti. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Cecco, Leyland (11 July 2024). "US, Canada and Finland form 'Ice Pact' to project influence into Arctic region". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ House, The White (11 July 2024). "Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Polar Partnership "ICE Pact" Alongside Finland and Canada". The White House. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "U.S., Canada and Finland announce joint Icebreaker Collaboration Effort - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Jäänmurtaja-aloite on Suomelle merkittävä teollisuuspoliittinen mahdollisuus". Valtioneuvosto (in Finnish). 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Nato-jäsenyys tuo Suomelle himoitun yhteistyön". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Murray Brewster (12 July 2024). "Canada, U.S. and Finland form pact to build icebreakers for Arctic". CBC News.
- ^ In the midst of designing and building 21 icebreaker vessels, Seaspan Shipyards welcomes the formation of the "ICE Pact"
- ^ "Canada to work with Finland, U.S. on 'Ice Pact' to build icebreakers". NNSL Media. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Suomi aloittaa jäänmurtajayhteistyön Yhdysvaltojen ja Kanadan kanssa – taustalla Kiinan toimet arktisella alueella". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 11 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "US, Canada, Finland launch effort to build ice-breaking ships as China and Russia cooperate in Arctic". 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ a b Rizzi, Alberto (15 July 2024). "Cold rush: How a transatlantic ship pact can win the race for the Arctic". ECFR. Retrieved 16 July 2024.