Quebec and the U.K. sign agreement on critical minerals

A container of lithium carbonate sits in a shipping warehouse at a lithium facility, in Silver Peak, Nev., Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-John Locher

Quebec signed an agreement Monday with the United Kingdom to secure critical and strategic minerals for its defence industry.

International Relations Minister Christopher Skeete travelled to London to sign a declaration of intent with Britain’s Minister for Industry, Chris McDonald.

The agreement aims to position Quebec as a trusted partner in the current geopolitical climate.

Western states are looking for partners to reduce their dependence on China, which controls much of the global market for critical and strategic minerals.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have both announced increases to defence spending in response to the Russian threat and the industry requires large amounts of critical minerals.

No fewer than 10 of the 40 critical minerals deemed necessary by the EU are found in Quebec’s soil, Skeete noted in an interview with The Canadian Press.

In 2024, the United Kingdom was Quebec’s fourth-largest European trading partner, with more than $5 billion in bilateral trade.

Quebec’s exports to the U.K. have risen 41 per cent over the past five years, making it the province’s second-largest customer in Europe and sixth-largest worldwide.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 8, 2024.