Mined: U.S. leads new critical-mineral action plans without Canada

The U.S. announced action plans with the EU, Japan and Mexico to shore up critical-mineral supply chains; Canada was not included and Ottawa says it will address access under the USMCA review.

U.S. officials announced new action plans with the European Commission, Japan and Mexico to protect critical-mineral supply chains. The Washington summit also featured Project Vault, a US$12-billion U.S. initiative to build a stockpile of critical minerals. Canada was not part of that specific table, and Ottawa has indicated it will reserve discussions on preferential access for the USMCA review. The context for these moves includes a concentration of refining and processing capacity in China for key minerals. Key points: - The U.S. said it is drawing up action plans with the EU, Japan and Mexico to increase resilience in critical-mineral supply chains. - Project Vault, a US$12-billion U.S. stockpiling effort, was announced at the summit in Washington. - Canada did not join that initiative; Ottawa has said it prefers to address access and market terms through the USMCA joint review. - Coverage noted that much refining and processing capacity for lithium, cobalt and rare earths remains concentrated in China. Summary: The announcements reflect closer coordination by the U.S. and some partners to reduce exposure to concentrated processing capacity abroad and to secure supply chains. The next formal point mentioned in reporting is the upcoming USMCA joint review, where Canada intends to discuss access and trade terms.