Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards has signed a memorandum of understanding with Stigterstaal Canada and Algoma Steel to reestablish a domestic steel supply chain focused on bolstering and expanding shipbuilding in Canada.
This move follows the current trend of countries trying to ensure their own shipbuilding supply chains.
The US, with its “Buy American” policy, is looking to prioritise domestic steel, particularly low‑carbon “green steel”, while the EU has its Steel & Metals Action Plan, introduced in March 2025, which should buffer its strategic steel sector.
Similarly, Canada has its National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), which looks to increase the use of Canadian-made materials in shipbuilding.
This memorandum provides a framework under the NSS for the three companies to assess the feasibility of Algoma Steel supplying class and non-class steel to Seaspan through Stigterstaal, who will act as a commercial and logistical subcontractor.
They will also engage in discussions to evaluate technical, commercial, and logistical requirements for Seaspan’s first-in-class icebreaker build. The collaboration also seeks to strengthen Canadian industrial capabilities and support the long-term sustainability of the national shipbuilding sector.
The icebreaker is the seventh vessel designed and built by Seaspan under Canada’s NSS. The agreement also looks to increase the use of Canadian-made materials in shipbuilding. Seaspan’s NSS supply chain now includes more than 800 Canadian companies, resulting in more than $3bn in contracts.
“With the completion of our plate mill modernisation and the ongoing transformation to Electric Arc Furnace steelmaking, we are well-positioned to deliver high-quality, made-in-Canada steel for critical national projects,” said Christopher Ford, CCO of Algoma Steel.
Seaspan is the world’s largest containership lessor with a fleet of more than 180 ships in operation and over 40 newbuildings confirmed.
