Canadian shipbuilder Chantier Davie has said that it intends to acquire shipbuilding assets in Galveston and Port Arthur in Texas from Gulf Copper and Manufacturing Corporation, a company specialising in ship repair, construction, and marine services.
The transaction is still subject to financial, legal, and regulatory closing conditions, as well as land lease negotiations with the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees. Once complete, Davie expects to finalise the acquisition in summer 2025.
Gulf Copper CEO Steve Hale said the deal would mark the return of complex shipbuilding projects in Galveston and Port Arthur, "for the first time in decades."
The planned acquisition would fulfil the commitment Davie made in July 2024 to explore a permanent presence in the United States.
Davie said the acquisition would support national priorities such as the US Maritime Action Plan and the Ships for America Act, as well as align with the US Coast Guard Arctic security cutter program, which aims to rapidly deliver new Arctic-ready icebreakers.