Expert tells U.S. senators Canada is a key ally on critical minerals

A stream runs along the outskirts of Neskantaga First Nation, part of northern Ontario's mineral-rich Ring of Fire region, on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

WASHINGTON — An expert in critical minerals is telling U.S. senators that Canada can be a key ally in efforts to reduce America’s reliance on Chinese supply — after President Donald Trump spent months claiming the U.S. doesn’t need anything from its northern neighbour.

Gracelin Baskaran of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told a Senate finance committee hearing today that the U.S. has only 1.3 per cent of the world’s rare earths.

She says Canada has an abundance of critical minerals and plays an important role in U.S. access to zinc, germanium and gallium.

Baskaran says if America wants to build up its mining, refining and manufacturing, it must strengthen its relationship with Canada.

Today’s hearing on trade in critical supply chains heard from experts in semiconductors, medical technology and soybean farming who spoke about the ways Trump’s sweeping tariffs are affecting their industries.

American Soybean Association president Caleb Ragland says any duty on Canadian potash would be devastating to farmers’ bottom lines.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press