Canada's Six Priority Critical Minerals
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Canada's six priority critical minerals are cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements, according to the Auditor General's 2024 audit of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. The government's strategy release of December 2022 names the same six among nine opportunities, adding potash, uranium and aluminum. USGS data for 2025 show that Canada produced between 0.4% and 3.6% of world output of five of the six and reported no rare earth production.
3.6%
Canada's share of world nickel mine output in 2025 (140,000 t of 3.9 million t), the largest of the six
0.4%
Canada's share of world graphite output in 2025 (8,000 t of 1.8 million t), the smallest of the five producers
830,000 t
rare earth oxide reserves USGS credits to Canada, with no mine output reported in 2025
How much of each priority mineral does Canada produce?
Canada produces all five priority minerals except rare earths at modest shares of world output, and its share is highest in nickel and copper. The table puts USGS's 2025 estimates next to Canada's reserves so the scale of each priority is visible.
| Mineral | Canada 2025e | World 2025e | Canada's share | Canadian reserves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel (contained nickel) | 140,000 t | 3.9 million t | 3.6% | 2.2 million t |
| Copper (mine output) | 500,000 t | 23 million t | 2.2% | 7 million t |
| Lithium (lithium content) | 5,600 t | 290,000 t (excludes the U.S.) | 1.9% | 1.6 million t |
| Cobalt (contained cobalt) | 3,500 t | 310,000 t | 1.1% | 220,000 t |
| Graphite (natural) | 8,000 t | 1.8 million t | 0.4% | 5.9 million t |
| Rare earth elements (oxide equivalent) | None reported | 390,000 t | 0% | 830,000 t |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 chapters on nickel, copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earths. Shares are our arithmetic on the USGS figures.
Which minerals does Canada prioritise, and who says so?
The Auditor General's 2024 report lists the six priority critical minerals in its 2022 strategy table: cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements. The government's own release on the strategy does not name a priority six. It says consultations validated the approach "including with respect to the opportunities from lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, rare earth elements, potash, uranium and aluminum". The strategy applies to all of Canada's critical minerals, and the strategy was announced as backed by up to C$3.8 billion.
What has Canada announced for the priority minerals?
The announcements the government has made since 2025 touch some priority minerals directly and others not at all. In October 2025 the government entered an offtake arrangement with Nouveau Monde Graphite for graphite, and Ontario's minister committed to swift approvals for the Ucore rare earths processing project. The first deal under the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator, signed on 7 July 2026, concerns germanium, antimony and possibly gallium at Teck's Trail Operations, none of which is a priority mineral. Funding is therefore not limited to the six.
Is the priority label a measure of Canadian output?
No. The label reflects strategy, not production size. The government's February 2026 progress update lists nine minerals whose Canadian output grew by more than 10% by 2024: aluminum, graphite, lithium, magnesium (magnesite), molybdenum, niobium, platinum group metals, scandium and uranium. Only graphite and lithium are on that list and are also priority minerals, and both start from small volumes (8,000 t of graphite and 5,600 t of lithium content in 2025).
Frequently asked questions
What are Canada's priority critical minerals?
Canada's priority critical minerals are cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements. The Auditor General's 2024 report lists these six for the 2022 Critical Minerals Strategy.
Does Canada produce rare earths?
USGS reported no rare earth mine output for Canada in 2025, although it credits Canada with 830,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide reserves. The October 2025 government announcement points to a rare earths processing project, Ucore's, which Ontario's minister committed to approve swiftly, rather than to a producing mine.
How much nickel does Canada produce?
USGS estimates that Canada produced 140,000 tonnes of contained nickel in 2025, about 3.6% of the world total of 3.9 million tonnes. That makes nickel the largest share among the six priority minerals.
Where does the money for the priority minerals come from?
The 2022 strategy was announced as backed by up to C$3.8 billion, and Budget 2025 added a C$2 billion fund now called the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator. The February 2026 progress update also lists a C$1.5 billion First and Last Mile Fund for 2026 to 2030.
Sources
Read on October 12, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- Auditor General of Canada: Report 6, The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (November 2024)
- Natural Resources Canada: Canada's $3.8-billion Critical Minerals Strategy (9 December 2022)
- Government of Canada: Critical Minerals Strategy progress update. Page dated 27 February 2026
- Natural Resources Canada: 26 new investments and partnerships (31 October 2025)
- Natural Resources Canada: first agreement under the Canada Critical Minerals Accelerator (7 July 2026)
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: nickel, copper, lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earths. Chapters read as PDFs; 2025 figures are USGS estimates
