Critical minerals decision will be part of USMCA talks, Anand says

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada will consider joining a proposed U.S. critical minerals trading bloc only as part of the broader USMCA review talks.

Canada's foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, said the country will only decide whether to join a proposed U.S. critical minerals trading bloc as part of wider talks on the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA). She spoke after attending a Washington meeting convened by the U.S. that brought together more than 50 countries to discuss a pact on critical minerals. The U.S. proposal discusses coordinated tariffs and price floors and would be negotiated with partners and allies. Anand said Ottawa does not want a single‑sector deal that could weaken its position ahead of the mandatory USMCA review this year. Key details: - Anita Anand said Canada will consider any offer on the proposed U.S. critical minerals bloc only within the context of the comprehensive USMCA review. - The U.S. administration, represented at the summit by Vice‑President JD Vance and others, proposed an "Agreement on Trade and Critical Minerals" and convened more than 50 countries to discuss it. The proposal includes use of tariffs to set price floors. - Anand attended the Washington meeting and said consultations between the U.S. and partner countries on the proposed trade zone are scheduled through April 1, with negotiations expected to begin after that date. - The U.S. announced critical mineral action plans with Mexico, the European Union and Japan that include price floors, and made no announcement of a similar new vehicle for cooperation with Canada. - Canada previously signed a Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration with the U.S. in 2020 (which does not publicly mention price floors) and established a Critical Minerals Production Alliance at the 2025 G7 meeting. Summary: Anand said a stand‑alone sector deal on critical minerals could undermine Canada's bargaining leverage in the upcoming USMCA review. Consultations on the U.S. proposal continue through April 1 and formal negotiations are expected to begin after that.