Canadian shipbuilder Davie in Quebec, which plays a key role in the Canada-U.S.-Finland joint agreement to build icebreakers, continues to expand its U.S. operations despite the threat of a trade war looming over the continent.
As part of that expansion, the Canadian shipbuilder intends to acquire a U.S. shipyard, giving it an important presence in the U.S. market.
Right now it’s business as usual with our U.S. entry plans… We are also making progress with the acquisition of an established U.S. shipbuilder – if we are successful, we plan to upgrade as we are doing at the Quebec site.
—Paul Barrett, Davie spokesman
Davie plans to transform its shipyard in Lévy, Quebec, into North America's largest and most versatile shipbuilding centre.
In 2024, the company signed two contracts to modernise its site, one with U.S. firm Pearlson & Pearlson Inc. and the other with Canadian construction leader Dinamo. These measures will allow Davie to build seven heavy icebreakers and two hybrid ferries as part of Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy.
The project has received financial support from the Government of Quebec in the amount of almost CAD 519 million (approximately USD 389.25 million). The modernisation will include the construction of six new buildings, installation of state-of-the-art equipment, a new assembly plant, a launch pad and reconstruction of coastal infrastructure.
Davie is positioning itself as a critical industrial partner in the trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact). This agreement, signed last summer, brings together Finnish, Canadian and American resources and expertise to create advanced icebreakers capable of operating in the Arctic year-round.
However, recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about the possible annexation of Canada and Greenland to the U.S., as well as the 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports under discussion (so far postponed), cast doubt on the future of partnerships such as the ICE Pact. The governments of Canada and Finland assured that recent tensions between the U.S. and Canada have not affected cooperation under the agreement.
Paul Barrett said that the West's 'competitors and adversaries' are rapidly expanding the Arctic icebreaker fleet to increase their control over the region. Despite ambitious shipbuilding programmes, according to him, the U.S. and its allies are still seriously lagging behind.
The acquisition of Helsinki Shipyard in 2023 gave Davie access to Finland's leading icebreaker-building technology, on which much of the world's icebreaker fleet is based. The extent to which this knowledge will be transferred to the U.S. as part of the agreement remains to be seen.
Barrett emphasised that Davie expects to play a leading role in discussions on the protection and application of intellectual property in the project.
Once the purchase of the U.S. shipbuilding company (its name has not yet been disclosed) is finalised, Davie will be the only shipyard in the ICE Pact with production facilities in all three participating countries.
Source: ACentury
Also read the publication:
Aging Finland Will Have To Modify Its Inefficient Social Model Soon
