Canada, U.K. launch new trade and critical minerals initiatives

Canada and the United Kingdom have agreed to deepen trade ties and fast-track collaboration on critical minerals as part of a renewed push to strengthen economic and security partnerships.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met in Ottawa to announce the creation of a new Economic and Trade Working Group, tasked with expanding the Canada-U.K. Trade Continuity Agreement and addressing market access barriers. The group will also explore cooperation in critical mineral development and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure.

As part of the wide-ranging Growth and Innovation Partnership, both countries will also launch a strategic mapping exercise to pinpoint key critical minerals and associated infrastructure, with an eye toward identifying projects for joint investment. The initiative aims to build secure, sustainable supply chains to support the manufacturing and mining sectors in both nations.

Canada also plans to introduce legislation this fall to ratify the U.K.’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), further integrating the two economies into a wider Asia-Pacific trading framework.

The bilateral meeting reinforced a commitment to rules-based trade and a predictable global economic system amid growing geopolitical tensions.