Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canada could help fill the U.S. resource gap following China’s ban on the export of critical minerals in retaliation for U.S. semiconductor restrictions.
“This is another wake-up call. For too long, China has cornered the global market for critical minerals. Ontario has the resources to fill the gap as the U.S. and our allies decouple from China,” Ford wrote on the
social media platform X on Dec. 3 in reaction to China’s export ban.
“We’re here to build up Fortress Can-Am to bring jobs back home and protect our shared national security interests with our U.S. allies.”
Ford’s remarks followed China’s Dec. 3 announcement of tighter export controls on civilian-military dual-use materials—including gallium and germanium—bound for the United States.
China is the world’s largest producer of critical minerals, supplying about 80 percent of global gallium production and 60 percent of germanium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance. These elements are crucial for manufacturing solar cells, satellite sensors, and military equipment.
Beijing’s export ban followed Washington’s
decision to impose further restrictions on China’s access to advanced semiconductors, aimed at curbing its military modernization and reducing the threat to U.S. national security.
On Dec. 2, the U.S. Commerce Department expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls to include
140 technology firms. While most companies are based in China, the list also covers Chinese-owned businesses located in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore that manufacture chipmaking equipment and software.
Last July, China had already
announced restrictions on gallium and germanium, widely seen as retaliation for U.S. and Western chip sanctions. Unlike previous controls, the new export ban specifically targets the United States.
China’s new export limits also tighten control over graphite, used in lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle components. China produces over
80 percent of the world’s graphite.
Ford has called on Ottawa to strengthen the Canada-U.S. trade partnership, including by removing Mexico from their trilateral agreement, over concerns that Chinese electric vehicles and other goods imported into Mexico are being redirected to Canada and the United States, bypassing their efforts to restrict Chinese imports.
The call comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
threatened 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, primarily over border security concerns. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
pledged to tighten border security following a meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida last month.
Trump has also
threatened tariffs on China if the regime fails to curb the flow of illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States through Mexico.
Dorothy Li contributed to this report.
