Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Bilateral Relations

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) maintains strong relationships with many countries  around the world. Close bilateral relationships with our international partners allow us to keep all of our waters safe. Examples of this bilateral collaboration include:

  • training and exercises
  • exchanges of:
    • personnel
    • equipment
    • information and knowledge

While the CCG works with various countries, we have regular bilateral engagements with the following partners (in alphabetical order):

Chile's Maritime Instruction and Training Centre

The CCG regularly supports Chile's Maritime Instruction and Training Centre. We teach icebreaking operations in polar waters as part of a longstanding partnership that began with joint training initiatives.

Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command

In the Arctic, the CCG works closely with Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command. We collaborate at the tactical level, with Cooperative Operational Plans currently in place.

French Navy

The CCG partners with the French Navy through:

  • joint operations
  • personnel exchanges
  • diplomatic engagements, including participation in:
    • icebreaking
    • scientific missions
    • hovercraft operations

Icelandic Coast Guard

The CCG collaborates with the Icelandic Coast Guard under a letter of intent in areas such as:

  • Arctic operations
  • vessel traffic services
  • information sharing
  • joint operations and exercises
  • climate change resilience strategies

Japan Coast Guard

CCG officer cadets participate in the Japanese Exchange Program each year. This program is a way to share best practices and build relationships between the two agencies. Japan Coast Guard officer cadets spend 7 days at the Canadian Coast Guard Academy and our officer cadets spend 10 days at the Japan Coast Guard Academy.

Korea Coast Guard

The longstanding agreement with the Korea Coast Guard promotes cooperation through a personnel exchange.

Norwegian Coast Guard

The CCG has 2 cooperation agreements with Norway with the:

  • Norwegian Coast Guard, focused on operational and strategic collaboration
  • Norwegian Coastal Administration, centered on pollution response and marine casualty management

United Kingdom's Royal Navy

The agreement with the United Kingdom's Royal Navy focuses on collaboration and training in:

  • Arctic operations
  • future fleet planning
  • autonomous vehicles
  • electronic charting data information systems

United States Coast Guard

The relationship between the Canadian and the United States coast guards is one of Canada’s most durable and strategically important maritime partnerships. We have over 20 formal agreements. Our collaboration provides a robust framework for year-round joint operations across the following regions:

  • Arctic
  • Pacific
  • Atlantic
  • Great Lakes

We cooperate on:

  • aids to navigation
  • search and rescue
  • environmental response
  • marine traffic management
  • icebreaking
  • buoy tending

In the winter, we work as one fleet to deliver icebreaking and buoy tending services from the St. Lawrence River to the Lake Superior, and on the connecting waterways. Vessels from both countries operate on both sides of the Canada-United States border, regardless of nationality or home port.

The Canada-US Coast Guard Summit is an annual event. It brings together senior leadership to:

  • align strategic priorities
  • improve interoperability
  • enhance service delivery

Page details

2025-12-19