China’s near monopolistic control of many critical minerals, which are essential for both for consumer products and defense production, represents an unacceptable risk to the national security countries reliant on these minerals at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. Canada, which already supplies the United States with large quantities of certain essential metals, is well positioned as an alternative source for many of the critical minerals controlled by China, thus contributing to North American national and economic security. Bolstering cooperation on critical minerals for the defense industry furthermore offers a way for both countries to find common ground amid frustrations surrounding trade and security.
This event will build upon a February policy brief from the CSIS Americas Program Mining for Defense: Unlocking the Potential for U.S.-Canada Collaboration on Critical Minerals, incorporating new perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing this relationship. It will also explore the implications of Canada’s recent elections for the country’s domestic mineral sector, and collaboration with the United States.
