An in progress trade war and the hunger of American president Donald Trump for critical minerals have put rich mineral deposits of Canada under the spotlight, federal and provincial politicians promising to accelerate natural resource projects.
The interest in critical minerals in the country increased after Trump began to think about the annex to Canada, according to experts, and that the president’s world war has intensified.
“This is now a national conversation on how we treat natural resources or natural resources development projects here in Canada,” said Elizabeth Steyn, expert in mine law and finance at the University of Calgary.
A key element of this conversation is Ring of Fire of minerals in northern Ontario, a region covering about 5,000 kilometers where large nickel, chromite, zinc, plate, copper and many other critical minerals would be buried.
Conservative leader Pierre Hairy said that his government would aim to approve all federal permits for mining in the Fire ring region in the six months, and encompass $ 1 billion to build a road network to help facilitate this.
As part of his promises to invest in critical minerals, Liberal chief Mark Carney said that he would work “very closely” with the Ontario government to “quickly” the fire ring.
The Ontario government filed the legislation on Thursday to accelerate the development of mines – and other large -scale projects – by designating some of them as “special economic zones”. The fire ring will be one of these areas.
Prime Minister Doug Ford said the need for acid extraction projects is a direct response to Trump’s threats.
But Ontario’s decision has triggered the concerns of indigenous groups that say that any fire development summary must include consultations with First Nations and respect their rights.
“We urge the provincial government to engage in authentic and national dialogue based on recognition of the jurisdiction, consent and prosperity of the First Nations,” the Ontario chiefs said in a press release before the detention of the bill.
Sol Mamakwa, the new Democrat who represents the conduct of Kiiwetinoong where the fire ring is, said that the province is continuing its long tradition of First Nations division in order to conquer them.
“Our lands are not for sale,” he said. “If you want to do a job, you have to do the appropriate relationship process to recognize the treaties we have with the crown. We are supposed to share the advantages of the resources that are there and this government has failed miserably in the past seven years.”
Mamakwa warned that the province of the province to exploit the north would respond to the resistance.
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“You cannot use a tariff war, a price problem with the United States of America to override the rights of First Nations persons who live in these land,” he said.
The urgency surrounding the development of natural resources also stems from Trump’s reflections on the annex of Canada and making the 51st state, before and after its inauguration of January.
Trump’s comments were largely minimized as a joke at the start. But in the comments captured by a hot microphone and widely reported by the Canadian media, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a host of business leaders in early February that Trump’s threats are real and motivated by the desire to absorb our resources.
Carney echoes Trudeau’s concerns after winning the Liberal management race last month, saying that the Americans “want our resources, our water, our land, our country”.
Trump’s rhetoric seemed to cool off after a first call with the newly sworn Prime Minister last month, but his white house brought the concept of 51st state this week.
Steyn, professor of Calgary University, agreed that Trump’s comments are partly motivated by the need for the United States to transform its energy and digital sectors, as well as to increase national security by accessing more critical minerals.
“I think we are subject to economic pressure as a way to soften ourselves for a kind of reciprocal mineral transaction,” she said, adding that Trump advisers would have “certainly” a knowledge of the deposit of the fire.
Trump signed a decree this week to start an investigation into all imports of American critical minerals, which could prepare the ground for new prices and put pressure on China, which has limited its exports of rare earth minerals in response to American prices.
He had previously signed another order to increase the production of internal critical minerals, and the US administration is currently negotiating critical mineral agreements with Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo – the two countries torn apart by the war.
The United States is one of the largest importers of gallium, niobium, aluminum, palladium, platinum and dozens of other minerals that the country deems crucial for its economic development and its industries such as renewable energies, electronics and military technology.
Canada, on the other hand, is a mining country with a rich supply of minerals buried in the ground – although the fire ring, in particular, remains in development with few active mines and chronologies of several years for new projects. Canadian companies also have mining operations around the world.
The fact that Trump has imposed lower prices on Canada energy materials, such as uranium and potash, shows that he knows the importance of Canadian minerals, Steyn said.
“Canada is the warehouse of each of the critical minerals that American industry needs. Each of them. And yet, we never hear about it, “said Jack Lifton, co -owner of Michigan, co -president of the Critical Mineral Institute, a world organization.
“I don’t know what Washington thinks about it, but I don’t think they realize that Canada is the solution to the problem, not the problem,” he added.
Until now, China has been the largest supplier and exporter of critical mineral resources in the world. Like the Americans, Europeans are trying to find alternative sources for their needs and Canada has the potential to fill this gap, said Ian London, executive director of Canadian Critical Minerals and Materials Alliance.
London argued that the Canada mining sector should move away from the sale of raw minerals and use them instead for
Build an advanced national manufacturing industry.
“My counter-argument is that I want to reindustrialize Canada’s value channels and the industrial and exported economic basis,” he said. “Why could we remove it from the ground and give it to others who, then, you know, would add (value) there, but we are buying the finished product? (That) makes no sense.”
China has built companies, universities and research centers around its mining industry, becoming the largest producer of electronic products and electric vehicles today.
London said current tensions with the United States has enabled Canada to do this exactly.
The construction of the Canada Critical mineral industry would produce short-term pain, but Canadians should not give in, he said.
“We must not give this country.”
Tracy Hughes, executive director of the Critical Mineral Institute, said that the economic dependence of the United States towards minerals, it is not clear why the country will have a neighbor who has as much of what they need.
“It’s a dark comedy that takes place at the moment, this is how I will describe it,” she said about the pricing war.
Hughes said that the one who becomes the Canadian Prime Minister after the federal elections should negotiate a mineral agreement with the Trump administration, which could open the way to a renegotiated trade agreement between two countries.
“Gather the two leaders, create a critical mineral agreement, then we can understand the rest,” she said.