Canada's Critical Minerals List and Strategy
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Canada's Critical Minerals List names 34 minerals. Natural Resources Canada released the first list in 2021 and updated it on 10 June 2024, keeping all 31 original minerals and adding high-purity iron ore, phosphorus and silicon metal. The list sits inside the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy of December 2022, which is backed by up to C$3.8 billion, and Budget 2025 added a C$2 billion fund for equity, loan guarantees and offtake deals.
C$3.8 billion
federal funding behind the 2022 strategy; the Auditor General puts the period at eight years
Source: Natural Resources Canada
C$2 billion
fund announced in Budget 2025 over five years, now called the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator
C$18.5 billion
in critical minerals projects the G7 Production Alliance is helping to mobilize in Canada
How has Canada's critical minerals policy developed?
Canada's policy moved from a list in 2021 to a funded strategy in 2022 and to investment tools in 2025 and 2026. The table follows that sequence using Natural Resources Canada's own announcements.
| Date | Event | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | First Critical Minerals List | Named 31 minerals. |
| 9 December 2022 | Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy | Backed by up to C$3.8 billion allocated in Budget 2022. |
| 10 June 2024 | List updated | Added high-purity iron ore, phosphorus and silicon metal after consultation from 11 December 2023 to 16 February 2024. |
| 31 October 2025 | G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance, first round | 26 investments, partnerships and measures worth C$6.4 billion with nine allied countries; offtake arrangements with Nouveau Monde Graphite (graphite) and Rio Tinto (scandium). |
| 2 March 2026 | Alliance, second round | 30 partnerships worth C$12.1 billion with 12 allied partners; Alliance total C$18.5 billion. |
| 7 July 2026 | Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator, first agreement | Teck Resources and the Canada Growth Fund agree a framework for expanding germanium and antimony output at Trail, British Columbia; completion is subject to conditions. |
Sources: Natural Resources Canada releases of 10 June 2024, 31 October 2025, 2 March 2026 and 7 July 2026.
What test does a mineral have to pass to be on Canada's list?
A mineral on Canada's list must meet two conditions and at least one of three further tests. The supply chain must be threatened, and there must be a reasonable chance of the mineral being produced in Canada. It must also be essential to Canada's economic or national security, be required for the transition to a sustainable low-carbon and digital economy, or position Canada as a sustainable and strategic partner within global supply chains. The government page states no review schedule, unlike the U.S. and EU lists.
What funding sits behind the list?
The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy of December 2022 was announced as backed by up to C$3.8 billion allocated in Budget 2022, and the Auditor General describes that money as spread over eight years. The government's February 2026 progress update lists three forward amounts: a C$1.5 billion First and Last Mile Fund for 2026 to 2030, the C$2 billion Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund over five years, and C$443 million over five years for support under the Defence Industrial Strategy. The Sovereign Fund is now delivered as the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator, with Export Development Canada leading investment execution under a Ministerial Investment Board.
What did the Auditor General find?
The Auditor General's November 2024 report found that Natural Resources Canada did not have strong enough governance or robust risk analysis for the strategy, did not sufficiently assess climate and biodiversity impacts, and had incomplete performance indicators and targets. The report also notes that Indigenous peoples were consulted while the strategy was developed but that work on a plan for ongoing engagement had only just begun. That audit predates the Budget 2025 funds, so it does not assess them.
What is in this section?
| Page | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| The list of 34 minerals | Which minerals are on the list and what changed in 2024? |
| Priority minerals | Which six minerals did the 2022 strategy prioritise, and what has been announced for each? |
| Compare the lists | How does Canada's list differ from the U.S., EU and Australian lists? |
Frequently asked questions
How many critical minerals does Canada have?
Canada's Critical Minerals List has 34 minerals. The June 2024 update kept all 31 minerals from the 2021 list and added high-purity iron ore, phosphorus and silicon metal.
What are Canada's priority critical minerals?
The Auditor General lists six priority critical minerals for the 2022 strategy: cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements. The government's own strategy release names those and three more (potash, uranium and aluminum) among the opportunities that consultations validated.
How much money has Canada committed to critical minerals?
Canada announced up to C$3.8 billion with the 2022 strategy and, in Budget 2025, a further C$2 billion over five years for equity, loan guarantees and offtake agreements. The 2026 progress update also lists a C$1.5 billion First and Last Mile Fund for 2026 to 2030.
Does Canada plan to stockpile critical minerals?
Canada says it intends to use its Defence Production Act to stockpile critical minerals. The October 2025 announcement gives the aims as strengthening defence-related capabilities, protecting supply to defence industries, supporting Arctic sovereignty and collective stockpiling with trusted partners. It gives no stockpile size or purchase schedule.
Sources
Read on October 12, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- Government of Canada: Canada's critical minerals. Criteria, 34-mineral list and 2024 additions
- Natural Resources Canada: updated Critical Minerals List (10 June 2024)
- Natural Resources Canada: Canada's $3.8-billion Critical Minerals Strategy (9 December 2022)
- Auditor General of Canada: Report 6, The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (November 2024)
- Government of Canada: Critical Minerals Strategy progress update. Page dated 27 February 2026
- Natural Resources Canada: 26 new investments and partnerships with nine allied countries (31 October 2025)
- Natural Resources Canada: 30 new partnerships and C$12.1 billion (2 March 2026)
- Natural Resources Canada: first agreement under the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator (7 July 2026)
Related topics
Canada's 34 Critical Minerals
The full list, the 2024 additions and where each mineral sits.
Priority Minerals
The six minerals the 2022 strategy prioritised.
Compare the Lists
Canada against the U.S., EU and Australia.
Strategic Projects and Permitting
How Canada, the U.S., EU and Australia speed up approvals.
