President Donald Trump signed an agreement Thursday paving the way for Bollinger Shipyards to build four new icebreaker vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard, part of a $6 billion deal that will support as many as 600 jobs at the company's Houma shipyard.

The agreement, still preliminary, is part of a larger pact between the U.S. government and Finland to partner on building 11 Arctic Security Cutters, a new class of medium-size vessels that can cut through artic ice while performing defense and research missions.

Trump has said he wants to eventually acquire 40 such vessels to protect U.S. security in the Arctic.

Trump announced the deal at the White House Thursday afternoon with Finnish President Alexander Stubb following a meeting with Stubb, Vice President J.D. Vance, several cabinet mem

See Full Page