Ontario Premier Ford Proposes Critical Minerals Alliance to Deter US Tariff Threat

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks in Toronto on Jan. 13, 2025. The Canadian Press/Chris Young
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is proposing a Canada–U.S. critical minerals alliance to deter the incoming U.S. administration’s tariff threat by strengthening cross-border supply chains.

Ford called for creating the critical minerals supply chain alliance with the United States at a Jan. 13 press conference in Toronto. The move is part of the broader “Fortress Am-Can” partnership the premier has proposed in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods unless Ottawa does more to boost border security.

“We’re just one week away—seven days—from a new administration in the White House and the real threat of a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods entering the United States. This is not something we’re taking lightly,” Ford said.

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Ford’s proposed critical minerals development strategy focuses on accelerating federal and provincial regulatory approval timelines for key projects and prioritizing those that reduce reliance on Chinese supply. The strategy also calls for designating strategic regions, such as Ontario’s Ring of Fire—a mineral-rich area about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay—as priority zones for expedited approvals.
Last December, China imposed export bans on “dual-use” critical minerals to the United States, such as antimony, gallium, germanium, and “superhard” materials. While the Chinese regime cited the need to “safeguard national security and interests,” the move is widely seen as retaliation against the United States for restricting access to its advanced semiconductor technologies. On Jan. 2, the Chinese Ministry further proposed tightening export restrictions on technology for batteries and processing critical minerals.

While China maintains global dominance in the supply of various critical minerals, Ford said Ontario’s mineral deposits could help fill the supply gap for the United States—a position echoed by Ontario Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford.

“Ontario is uniquely poised to meet the opportunity of Am-Can, particularly when it comes to mineral production,” Rickford said at the press conference. He said that while China processes 95 percent of rare earth elements and 65 percent of critical minerals, its practices are “suspect,” especially compared to Ontario’s labour and environmental standards.

Debating Retaliation

Ford had previously suggested cutting oil and gas supplies to the United States in response to Trump’s tariff warning—an option he said he remains open to, reiterating on Monday that Canada should “use all the tools possible” to address economic threats. In 2023, Ontario electricity powered 1.5 million homes in the United States and the province is a major exporter of electricity to several other states.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said recently that the federal government hasn’t ruled out cutting energy exports to the United States as part of its response to tariffs.

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been critical of the proposal, saying on Jan. 13, “Oil and gas is owned by the provinces, principally Alberta, and we won’t stand for that.” Smith, who met with Trump over the past weekend, said she wants to avoid the tariffs by emphasizing to the United States the importance of its partnership with Canada.

“We think we can be the solution to not only American energy affordability but also American energy dominance. ... That’s the deal that I want to make with the United States,” she said.

In response to Smith’s comment, Ford noted that both premiers speak only for their own provinces, while adding that he believes “in negotiating through strength, not weakness.”

On Jan. 13, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called for blocking critical mineral exports to the United States in response to Trump’s tariff threat.

“If Trump attacks Canadian workers and jobs with tariffs, let’s fight for them by cutting off the flow of critical minerals to the U.S.,” he wrote on social media.