Expert Emphasizes Canada’s Strategic Role in U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chain

On May 14, 2025, during a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing, Dr. Gracelin Baskaran of the Center for Strategic and International Studies underscored Canada’s pivotal role in the United States’ critical minerals strategy. She emphasized that Canada possesses key resources such as zinc, germanium, and gallium — minerals vital to industries ranging from electronics to national defense. Dr. Baskaran noted that Canada’s uranium reserves are ten times larger than those of the U.S., highlighting the urgency of enhanced cross-border collaboration to reduce dependence on adversarial suppliers like China. Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire supported these concerns, criticizing current U.S. trade policies that impose tariffs on Canadian imports while seeking concessions from China. She warned that such contradictions undermine efforts to build a strong North American critical minerals supply chain. The hearing also highlighted active cooperation between the two countries, including co-investment agreements and integrated refining operations, such as Canadian firms converting U.S.-mined zinc into germanium for American manufacturing.