Germany and Canada have taken a decisive step toward reinforcing the resilience of global supply chains for critical minerals by signing a new cooperation agreement. The non-binding declaration, announced on August 26, 2025, reflects growing urgency in both countries to secure access to essential inputs like lithium, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements. With China tightening export controls and geopolitical competition intensifying, the partnership underscores a shared recognition that mineral security is now a matter of industrial strategy and national resilience.
The agreement goes beyond resource extraction to include processing, refining, and recycling, signaling a joint commitment to building end-to-end supply chains that are less vulnerable to external shocks. Canada brings significant resource reserves and expanding production capacity, while Germany contributes technological expertise, industrial demand, and financing through its green transition agenda. Together, the two economies aim to promote investment in sustainable mining projects and expand cooperation with private sector firms that can scale up responsible supply networks.
This partnership is significant because it highlights how Western allies are beginning to align their mineral strategies to counterbalance China’s dominance. For Germany, securing Canadian resources provides insurance for its automotive and clean energy industries, which are central to its economic model. For Canada, the deal strengthens its role as a trusted supplier to NATO and G7 partners, while embedding sustainability standards that can shape global norms. In effect, the agreement is not just bilateral cooperation — it is a signal of a broader transatlantic strategy to build resilient, allied-controlled supply chains for the minerals that will drive the 21st-century economy.