In this episode of Minerals Matter, APF Canada’s Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, speaks with Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environment program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Special Advisor to the Business Council of Canada, on strengthening Canada’s domestic approach to critical mineral supply chains.
Heather argues that Canada has significant mining power by default of its vast geological resources, but having the minerals isn’t enough to be a competitive player in critical minerals supply chains. She proposes a four-category framework — inspired in part by China's division of minerals into "scarcity" and "advantage" categories — that calls for distinct policy and fiscal approaches to solidify Canada’s position in the critical minerals market.
She also shares her perspective on how Canada should approach Chinese investment in the mining sector as the two countries cautiously rebuild ties, and calls for a "divide and conquer" approach for international co-ordination among allies and partners to build critical minerals resilience without duplicating effort and spending.
