Canada Critical Minerals
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Canada produces an estimated 31% of the world's potash, the largest share of any country, ranks second in niobium (5.4%) and third in palladium (8.2%), and mines 3.6% of the world's nickel, according to USGS estimates for 2025. Its Critical Minerals List names 34 minerals after the update of 10 June 2024, and USGS counts Canada as a major supplier of 16 of the critical minerals the United States imports.
31%
of world potash mine production came from Canada in 2025, the largest share of any country
34
minerals on Canada's Critical Minerals List after the update of 10 June 2024
Source: Natural Resources Canada
16
critical minerals for which Canada was a major supplier to the United States, four of them as the leading supplier
C$18.5 billion
in critical minerals projects the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance was helping to mobilize in Canada by 2 March 2026
Which critical minerals does Canada produce?
The table shows where Canada ranks in USGS estimates of 2025 world production. Potash is the standout, and Canada is a mid-sized producer of nickel, palladium and niobium.
| Mineral | 2025 production (USGS estimate) | Share of world | Rank | Reserves (share of world) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potash | 15,000 kt of K2O equivalent | 31% | 1 of 12 | 4,500,000 kt |
| Palladium | 16,000 kg | 8.2% | 3 of 5 | not reported |
| Gold | 200 t of gold content | 6.1% | 4 of 13 | 3,200 t (4.8%) |
| Niobium | 6,000 t of niobium content | 5.4% | 2 of 7 | 640,000 t |
| Primary aluminium | 3,300 kt | 4.4% | 4 of 12 | not reported |
| Indium | 40 t | 3.6% | 4 of 9 | not reported |
| Nickel | 140,000 t of nickel content | 3.6% | 4 of 9 | 2,200,000 t |
| Platinum | 5,000 kg | 2.9% | 4 of 5 | not reported |
| Tellurium | 28 t | 2.7% | 5 of 9 | not reported |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 chapters. Shares are calculated by this site from the USGS country figure and the larger of the USGS world total and the sum of the country figures, because USGS rounds the world total. Units differ by row. Rank is among the countries named in each USGS table.
What is Canada's critical minerals policy?
Canada moved from a list in 2021 to a funded strategy in 2022 and to project and investment tools in 2025 and 2026. The table gives the main steps with dates and sources.
| Measure | What it does | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Minerals List | Names 34 minerals; the 2024 update kept all 31 original minerals and added high-purity iron ore, phosphorus and silicon metal. Lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements are the six priorities of the strategy | 10 June 2024 | Natural Resources Canada |
| Critical Minerals Strategy | Backed by up to C$3.8 billion allocated in Budget 2022 | 9 December 2022 | Natural Resources Canada |
| Major Projects Office referrals | Five critical minerals projects referred for federal coordination and the Critical Minerals Strategy itself referred on 11 September 2025; the page does not name the projects | Page modified 21 May 2026 | Major Projects Office |
| G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance | Canada-led alliance broadened at Evian; the government says it is catalysing 69 partnerships and projects worth $19.2 billion | 17 June 2026 | Prime Minister of Canada |
| Trail Strategic Metals Initiative | First agreement under the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator: up to $400 million from the Canada Growth Fund within a potential Teck total of up to $850 million, to expand germanium and antimony and add gallium; subject to definitive documents | 7 July 2026 | Teck |
Dollar amounts in the Teck row are as stated in the release, which gives no currency. Government figures are Canadian government claims.
Which of its projects has the European Commission recognised?
| Project | Stage | Promoter | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Dumont Nickel Project | Extraction | Magneto Investments Limited Partnership | Nickel, Cobalt |
The Commission recognises these projects outside the EU for faster permitting and coordinated support. A recognition is a status, not production.
Where does Canada fit in the allied supply chain?
Canada is both a source of ore and an increasingly important processor. Teck's Trail smelter in British Columbia is described by the Canada Growth Fund as Canada's only germanium-producing smelter, and Rio Tinto has conditional federal funding of up to C$18.95 million for a gallium demonstration plant in Quebec. The Commission also lists Canada's Dumont nickel and cobalt project as a strategic project outside the EU. See the semiconductor materials page for the gallium and germanium projects and the Canada list page for the full list.
What limits Canadian supply?
Permitting time is the stated constraint. Canada passed Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy implementation, in June 2025 to set up the Major Projects Office and speed federal review, and S&P Global research reported by The Northern Miner ranked Zambia, the United States and Canada slowest for mine development. The permitting page compares the Canadian, US and EU approaches.
Frequently asked questions
What does Canada produce most of?
Canada is the world's largest potash producer, with an estimated 15,000 kt in 2025 or 31% of the world total. It also ranks second in niobium and third in palladium by USGS estimates.
How many minerals are on Canada's critical minerals list?
Canada's list names 34 minerals after the update of 10 June 2024, which kept the 31 minerals of the 2021 list and added high-purity iron ore, phosphorus and silicon metal.
What is the Major Projects Office?
The Major Projects Office coordinates federal review of projects of national interest. Five critical minerals projects had been referred to it by 21 May 2026, according to its page, which does not name them.
Is Canada a major supplier of critical minerals to the United States?
Yes. USGS reports that Canada was a major supplier of 16 of the critical minerals the United States imports, and the leading supplier for four of them.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Potash
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Niobium
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (full publication, import reliance)
- Natural Resources Canada: Government of Canada releases updated Critical Minerals List (10 June 2024)
- Major Projects Office: critical minerals projects referred
- Prime Minister of Canada: G7 Leaders' Summit backgrounder (17 June 2026)
- Teck: Agreement to support strategic metals production at Trail (7 July 2026)
- Natural Resources Canada: Canada's $3.8-billion Critical Minerals Strategy (9 December 2022)
- Natural Resources Canada: 30 new partnerships and C$12.1 billion (2 March 2026)
- Government of Canada: Implementation of Bill C-5
- The Northern Miner: Zambia, US and Canada slowest for mine development, S&P Global
- Commission Decision C(2025) 3491, annex (Dumont)
- Commission Decision C(2025) 3491, annex (4 June 2025)
