Op-Ed: How Canada and Mexico can align a critical minerals strategy

Canada and Mexico are preparing a joint action plan on minerals, infrastructure and supply chains, expected in the second half of 2026, aimed at making it faster and easier to invest, trade and transport mined materials across borders.The initiative is not a splashy mine announcement but a framework to reduce bottlenecks that often delay projects, including permits, transport corridors, power supply, processing capacity and trade rules. In critical minerals, the biggest constraints are often not geological. They are logistical, regulatory and financial.Why now?The timing reflects mounting concern over supply-chain security. Governments increasingly treat access to minerals used in electric vehicles, power grids, electronics and defence systems as a national security issue. That is why recent announcements link “supply chains” directly with “minerals.”Trade uncertainty also plays a role. Mexican reporting frames the Canada–Mexico effort as preparation for potential turbulence around USMCA/TMEC and broader North American trade rules. By aligning on inputs that keep factories operating, both countries aim to reduce vulnerability to policy shifts.Mexico has also signalled it wants to move beyond simply extracting and exporting raw materials. Officials have stressed the importance of capturing more value through processing and refining, where margins, jobs and strategic leverage are often greater. Canada, which has deeper experience in parts of the midstream segment, could offer expertise and capacity as Mexico builds out that capability.Which minerals?The Canada–Mexico announcement does not name specific minerals. That absence matters. The headline signals intent, but key details remain undisclosed.However, context provides clues. Mexico recently launched a separate US–Mexico Action Plan on Critical Minerals, committing the two countries to identify priority minerals and coordinate trade tools to reduce supply vulnerabilities. In parallel discussions, lithium, nickel, cobalt and other battery-related materials frequently surface, reflecting rapidly rising demand and the concentration of processing in a limited number of jurisdictions.What to watch for?Because this is effectively a plan to publish a plan, the 2026 document will determine whether the initiative carries weight. Investors and industry participants will look for a short list of priority minerals, concrete measures to address permitting, standards, customs and project finance barriers, and a pipeline of processing, refining and infrastructure projects. Without those elements, the effort risks remaining diplomatic signalling rather than becoming an investment roadmap.Mineral co-operation is not new, but its focus has evolved. In the past, governments often tried to stabilize prices. The International Tin Council, for example, attempted to manage volatility through buffer stocks and coordinated intervention. The system collapsed in the mid-1980s when it could no longer sustain price support, underscoring how difficult it is to control commodity markets.Producer alliances have also sought leverage. The International Bauxite Association aimed to strengthen the position of bauxite-producing countries in a value chain dominated by major downstream players. While such coalitions can have political impact, durable influence typically comes from controlling processing capacity and market access, not simply ore supply.Similarly, CIPEC, formed by major copper exporters including Chile, Peru, Zaire/DRC and Zambia, tried to co-ordinate export policies to improve revenues. Over time, it struggled to shape global outcomes as coordination proved difficult and markets adjusted.Focus on “de-risking” not “price fixing”Today’s mineral partnerships take a different approach. Rather than attempting to fix prices, governments focus on de-risking supply chains and accelerating investment.The US–Mexico Action Plan on Critical Minerals centres on reducing supply-chain vulnerability and co-ordinating trade tools, even referencing options such as border-adjusted price floors and broader plurilateral agreements. Canada anchors G7-linked collaboration through the Critical Minerals Production Alliance, designed to speed up projects and strengthen partner supply chains. The Minerals Security Partnership brings together countries including Canada, the EU and Japan to co-ordinate diplomatic and financial support for strategic energy mineral projects. In Europe, policy-driven alliances emphasize rare-earth magnets and motors, which are essential for EVs, wind turbines and defence systems and whose processing remains concentrated.Against that backdrop, the Mexico–Canada initiative signals an effort to create a more predictable mine-to-market pathway for materials central to modern industry. The announcement marks a strategic intent, but the decisive test will come with specifics: which minerals, which projects and which bottlenecks both governments commit to removing. If those details materialize, the plan could become a meaningful step in building more resilient North American mineral supply chains.* Alina Karpunina is project manager at GEM Mining Consulting, a Chile-based industrial engineering firm providing strategy, analytics, evaluation, and optimization services to the mining industry.The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of MINING.COM or The Northern Miner Group.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com