Finnish shipyards and US Coast Guard sign icebreaker agreements

Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto is pleased with the icebreaker agreement between the United States Coast Guard and the Helsinki shipyard published today. The Coast Guard and the Rauma shipyard announced their agreement already on 29 December 2025. With the agreements, the building of four icebreakers will begin at the shipyards in Helsinki and Rauma.

“The confirmation of the icebreaker order for the Helsinki shipyard is excellent news. This agreement, together with the one that was concluded with the Rauma shipyard earlier, will have a significant positive impact on the Finnish maritime industry. In international comparison, Finland’s combination of shipyards and a broad network of subcontractors and partners is quite unique,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto.

The United States Coast Guard has ordered a total of 11 icebreakers, of which seven will be built in the US. Three of the icebreakers will be built at the Galveston (Texas) shipyard of Davie, which owns the Helsinki shipyard.

“The use of Finnish competence and technology commercially will play an important role in the building of the vessels in Galveston,” Puisto adds.

The agreements are based on the Memorandum of Understanding between Finland and the United States signed by President of the Republic Alexander Stubb and President of the United States Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. in October 2025. The icebreaker order is a concrete example of long-term cooperation between the two countries and also strengthens the icebreaker cooperation between Finland, Canada and the US within the framework of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact).

On 18 November 2025, Finland, the United States and Canada signed a trilateral declaration confirming support for the ICE Pact initiative launched in autumn 2024 with the goal of intensifying cooperation in developing world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers and related capabilities. This cooperation strengthens Finland’s position as a leading actor in the field while enhancing the ability of its allies to operate in the Arctic region.

Inquiries: 
Reko-Antti Suojanen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 7220
Lars Aikala, Special Adviser to the Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. +358 29 504 7330