Canada - Critical Mineral Production & Reserves
Statistical profile of Canada's critical mineral output across 17 quantified mineral chapters in the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries (2020-2026). Canada holds 1 #1 global production ranks and 3 top-three global production ranks.
Canada Critical Mineral Production & World Shares (2020-2025)
| Mineral & Stage | Unit | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 | 2025e | Share | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potash Mine production | thousand metric tons | 13,800 | 14,600 | 14,400 | 15,000 | 30.6% | #1 |
| Platinum-group metals Mine production: Palladium | kilograms | 7,000 | 5,400 | 17,000 | 16,000 | 8.4% | #3 |
| Niobium Mine production | metric tons | 6,500 | 6,700 | 6,900 | 6,000 | 5.4% | #2 |
| Aluminum Smelter production | thousand metric tons | 3,120 | 2,770 | 3,320 | 3,300 | 4.5% | #4 |
| Titanium minerals Mine production: ilmenite | thousand metric tons | 595 | 520 | 360 | 360 | 3.8% | #7 |
| Indium Refinery production | metric tons | 66 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 3.6% | #4 |
| Nickel Mine production | metric tons | 167,000 | 143,000 | 125,000 | 140,000 | 3.6% | #4 |
| Platinum-group metals Mine production: Platinum | kilograms | 7,000 | 5,400 | 17,000 | 5,000 | 2.9% | #4 |
| Tellurium Refinery production | metric tons | 44 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 2.8% | #4 |
| Copper Mine production | thousand metric tons | 585 | 520 | 515 | 500 | 2.2% | #12 |
| Lithium Mine production | metric tons | - | 520 | 4,820 | 5,600 | 1.9% | #8 |
| Silver Mine production | metric tons | - | - | 366 | 400 | 1.5% | #13 |
| Cobalt Mine production | metric tons | 3,690 | 3,060 | 3,350 | 3,500 | 1.1% | #7 |
| Copper Refinery production | thousand metric tons | 585 | 520 | 515 | 320 | 1.1% | #16 |
| Bauxite Alumina, refinery production | thousand metric dry tons | - | - | - | 1,500 | 1.0% | #9 |
| Silicon Silicon metal | thousand metric tons | - | 29 | 34 | 34 | 0.7% | #7 |
| Silicon Ferrosilicon | thousand metric tons | - | 29 | 34 | 23 | 0.5% | #12 |
| Natural graphite Mine production | metric tons | 8,000 | 13,000 | 11,700 | 8,000 | 0.4% | #8 |
Canada Reported Critical Mineral Reserves (2025)
| Mineral & Reserve Basis | Unit | Reported Reserves | Share of World Reserves | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium Reserves | metric tons | 1,600,000 | 4.3% | #6 |
| Natural graphite Reserves | metric tons | 5,900,000 | 1.9% | #10 |
| Cobalt Reserves | metric tons | 220,000 | 1.8% | #7 |
| Silver Reserves | metric tons | 4,900 | 0.8% | #12 |
| Copper Reserves | thousand metric tons | 7,000 | 0.7% | #13 |
| Antimony Reserves | metric tons | 78,000 | - | #8 |
| Nickel Reserves | metric tons | 2,200,000 | - | #8 |
| Niobium Reserves | metric tons | 640,000 | - | #3 |
| Platinum-group metals PGM reserves | kilograms | 310,000 | - | #5 |
| Potash Reserves: K2O equivalent | thousand metric tons | 1,100,000 | - | #2 |
| Rare earths Reserves | metric tons | 830,000 | - | #10 |
| Titanium minerals Reserves: ilmenite | thousand metric tons | 50,000 | - | #3 |
Frequently Asked Questions - Canada
Which critical minerals does Canada lead in global production?
Among the 2026 USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries country tables, Canada ranks in the global top three for 3 production measures (#1 in 1), including Potash (mine production, rank #1, 30.6% of world total), Niobium (mine production, rank #2, 5.4% of world total), Platinum-group metals (mine production: palladium, rank #3, 8.4% of world total).
What critical mineral reserves are reported for Canada?
Quantified reserve estimates reported for Canada in the 2026 USGS release include Antimony (78,000 metric tons), Cobalt (220,000 metric tons), Copper (7,000 thousand metric tons), Natural graphite (5,900,000 metric tons), Lithium (1,600,000 metric tons). Reserve definitions and assessment dates vary across reporting jurisdictions.
For which critical minerals is Canada a major import source to the United States?
In USGS 2021-24 US import-source statistics, Canada is a reported supplier across 40 tracked import categories, led by Copper (Copper content of ore and concentrate: >99%), Tin (Waste and scrap: 91%), Potash (All: 79%), Tellurium (All: 64%).