M. Garside
Research lead covering energy, chemicals & resources
Critical mineral mining in Canada - statistics & facts
As of 2022, Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy has defined a list of 31 critical minerals. For nine of those critical minerals, Canada is among the world’s top five producers. Although each country defines critical minerals slightly differently, generally they are strategic commodities that have no substitutes, that are extracted and processed in concentrated world regions, and which encompass the necessary raw materials for modern technologies such as renewable energy equipment, electronics, batteries, and electric vehicles. By extension, critical minerals are necessary to the clean energy transition as well as the digital economy. Countries have a vested interest in maintaining critical minerals in their value chains, as there are geopolitical and economic implications of not having a resilient supply. In 2022, Canada was the world’s leading producer of critical minerals based on volume when the production of both domestic mines and oversees mines owned by Canadian companies are considered.
The 31 critical minerals defined by Canada are aluminum, antimony, bismuth, cesium, chromite, cobalt, copper, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite, helium, indium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, platinum group metals, potash, rare earth elements, scandium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, and zinc.
The 31 critical minerals defined by Canada are aluminum, antimony, bismuth, cesium, chromite, cobalt, copper, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite, helium, indium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, platinum group metals, potash, rare earth elements, scandium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, and zinc.
Critical mineral mining in Canada
Currently, over 60 metals and minerals are mined in Canada, including many of the critical minerals. Looking ahead, the Critical Minerals Strategy in Canada has provided funding for the development of several untapped critical minerals deposits in the country. For the strategy’s initial phase, Canada’s further development of lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth element resources is being prioritized. As for Canada’s existing mine production, potash is the leading critical mineral based on production volume in the country. In fact, Canada is the world’s leading producer of potash. Following potash, Canada’s most voluminously produced critical minerals in 2021 were aluminum, copper, titanium, zinc, and magnesium.Canadian critical minerals trade
Canadian production of critical minerals is not only concerned with domestic supply, but also with the intention of supplying its allies. In 2022, the total value of critical mineral exports from Canada was 62.6 billion Canadian dollars. Of that amount, aluminum exports accounted for over 18.5 billion Canadian dollars, making it the leading critical mineral export for the country, followed by potash in second place at 16.4 billion Canadian dollars. The United States was by far the leading recipient of Canada’s critical mineral exports that year, amounting to 37.6 billion Canadian dollars, with China in a distant second place at 3.9 billion Canadian dollars. Aside from exports, Canada is also a net-importer of many critical minerals, with graphite and magnesium net imports amounting to nearly 745 and 561 million Canadian dollars, respectively in 2022.
