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Ontario threatened to cut off U.S. critical minerals supply. Sudbury is not panicking
🇨🇦 Canada /Economy & Trade

Ontario threatened to cut off U.S. critical minerals supply. Sudbury is not panicking

From Global News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off critical-mineral shipments to the United States in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.
  • Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said the city is largely insulated because its main exports, nickel and copper, are not covered by the tariffs.
  • Canada exported 98,199 tonnes of unwrought nickel worth $2.4 billion in 2024, with 43% going to the United States.

While tariff threats have caused panic in several Ontario industrial cities, Sudbury is taking a different view. The province’s mining capital is minimizing the risks from Donald Trump’s trade war and is focusing on sending its products to other markets.

The end of the industry

— A Hamilton officialThe official warned that tariffs could devastate Hamilton’s steel industry and cost thousands of jobs.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has said retaliation could include cutting off electricity to U.S. states and halting critical-mineral supplies if Washington continues targeting Canadian industries. The threats have unsettled places such as Hamilton, where an official warned tariffs could mean “the end of the industry” and the loss of thousands of jobs. Oshawa autoworkers have also worried about their ability to support their families as the auto sector declines.

Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said his city has felt only indirect effects through some suppliers. Nickel and copper, its two main exports, are not subject to the tariffs, leaving Sudbury more sheltered than other municipalities. “They need our nickel to continue,” Lefebvre said. “They would just be hurting themselves.” He added, “We’re confident that the U.S. will not want to impose tariffs on us.”

They need our nickel to continue

— Paul LefebvreThe Greater Sudbury mayor argued that imposing tariffs on the city’s nickel would hurt the United States.

Critical minerals have become increasingly important to U.S. national security and manufacturing. The Pentagon wants more reliable supplies for military aircraft, missiles, munitions and electronics as the United States seeks to reduce its dependence on China. The United States has only one operating nickel mine, in Michigan, and the nickel extracted there is processed in Sudbury, Lefebvre said.

They would just be hurting themselves

— Paul LefebvreLefebvre explained why he believes the United States would not want to impose tariffs on Sudbury’s exports.

Ontario produced the largest share of the 125,364 tonnes of nickel concentrate mined in Canada in 2024. Canada exported 98,199 tonnes of unwrought nickel worth $2.4 billion, with 43% going to the United States and 15% to the Netherlands. Sudbury’s nickel heritage is also reflected in the Big Nickel, a nine-metre replica of a Canadian five-cent coin and a major local attraction.

We’re confident that the U.S. will not want to impose tariffs on us

— Paul LefebvreThe mayor described Sudbury’s confidence that its nickel and copper exports would remain outside the tariff measures.
About this summary

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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