United States and Denmark Sign Maritime Cooperation Memorandum: Shipbuilding Workforce and Danish Investment in U.S. Yards
The U.S. Department of State announced on October 22 that the United States and Denmark signed a maritime cooperation memorandum of understanding that day. The memorandum was signed for the United States by Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg and for Denmark by Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
According to the State Department's statement, the agreement aims to bolster the U.S. shipbuilding workforce, attract Danish investment to U.S. shipyards, and speed up vessel construction and repairs through advanced technology. Denmark is home to a world-leading shipping and maritime industry, with Danish shipping companies and maritime technology holding a major place in international markets.
The memorandum comes as the U.S. government pushes to revitalize the domestic shipbuilding industrial base. On August 13, 2026, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum titled “Rebuilding the United States Navy and America's Shipbuilding Industrial Base,” which proposed following the “Finland model” first used for the Coast Guard's medium icebreaker program, under which allied shipbuilders invest in U.S. shipyards and train American workers. An executive order signed in April 2025, “Restoring America's Maritime Dominance,” had already launched a government-wide effort to revive the industry.
The United States and Denmark are both members of NATO. On September 22, the United States, Denmark and Greenland signed a security agreement covering defense arrangements for Greenland and Arctic security cooperation; the maritime memorandum is the latest in a series of recent cooperation documents between the two countries. (GSM, based on Reuters reporting of October 22 and the statement of the U.S. Department of State)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国务院总部 Harry S. Truman Building（资料图）。照片：美国国务院，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Harry S. Truman Building, headquarters of the U.S. Department of State (file photo). Photo: U.S. Department of State, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
