{"id":880739,"date":"2026-09-02T13:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T13:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/880739\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T13:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T13:08:12","slug":"sudbury-ontarios-mining-capital-unshaken-by-fords-threat-to-cut-off-u-s-critical-minerals-supply","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/880739\/","title":{"rendered":"Sudbury, Ontario\u2019s mining capital, unshaken by Ford\u2019s threat to cut off U.S. critical minerals supply"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Doug Ford tours the Glencore Onaping Depth Project in Sudbury, Ont., last Thursday. The Ontario Premier has threatened to cut off critical minerals to the U.S.Keito Newman\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

With each development in U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s trade war with Canada, many Ontario cities have received news of tariffs on Canadian goods with panic and devastation for their local industries.<\/p>\n

A Hamilton official last year warned that tariffs in the steel town could spell \u201cthe end of the industry\u201d and thousands of jobs lost.<\/p>\n

In Oshawa, autoworkers already mourning the steady decline of the industry feared for their ability to put food on the table.<\/p>\n

But even as Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off<\/a> the flow of critical minerals to the United States in response to the latest round of Trump\u2019s tariffs, the province\u2019s mining capital appears unshaken, minimizing trade fears as it doubles down on getting its product to other markets.<\/p>\n

Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre says he is ‘confident’ the U.S. won’t impose tariffs on Canadian nickel.<\/p>\n

The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Paul Lefebvre, the Mayor of Greater Sudbury, said the city is largely sheltered from the trade war compared to other municipalities because nickel and copper \u2013 its two key exports \u2013 are not subject to tariffs. The city is only feeling indirect effects from some suppliers, he said, so he\u2019s not overly worried about the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need our nickel to continue,\u201d Lefebvre said in an interview. \u201cThey would just be hurting themselves.\u201d He added, \u201cWe\u2019re confident that the U.S. will not want to impose tariffs on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Escalation tactics in trade negotiations with the U.S. prove to be a minefield<\/a><\/p>\n

Critical minerals have become increasingly important to American national security and manufacturing. The Pentagon has sought more secure supplies<\/a> of minerals used in military aircraft, missiles, munitions and electronics as the U.S. tries to curtail its reliance on China, which dominates the mining and processing of multiple strategically important minerals.<\/p>\n

The U.S. only has one operational nickel mine, in Michigan, and the nickel extracted there is processed in Sudbury, the mayor said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Ontario produced the largest share of the 125,364 tonnes of nickel in concentrate dug out from Canadian mines in 2024, according to official figures.<\/p>\n

Natural Resources Canada also reported that 98,199 tonnes of unwrought nickel valued at $2.4-billion were exported in 2024. By volume, 43 per cent of these exports went to the United States, followed by 15 per cent to the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

The versatile metal known for its strength and ability to withstand extreme temperatures has long been Sudbury\u2019s claim to fame. The Big Nickel, a nine-metre tall replica of a Canadian five-cent coin, is one of the best known tourist attractions in the area.<\/p>\n

After the United States imposed 50-per-cent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods last month, Ford said all forms of retaliation, including cutting off electricity supply to U.S. states and shutting down the flow of critical minerals, were on the table should Trump continue to target Canadian industries.<\/p>\n

Four takeaways from Canada\u2019s tariff counterpunch<\/a><\/p>\n

Though Lefebvre said \u201cit\u2019s always concerning\u201d to hear threats about cutting off critical mineral exports to the U.S., he approves of Ford\u2019s strategy. The mayor said he supports the premier leveraging critical minerals to rid the country of tariffs, but believes the local economy must be taken into consideration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe uncertainty that (Trump) has created in North America has really shied away a lot of investments,\u201d he said, such as a Sudbury delegation\u2019s trip to Japan and South Korea that was soured by Trump imposing tariffs on the two Asian countries.<\/p>\n

The mayor added that Sudbury has not been in any talks with American officials, and he declined an invitation to a conference in the U.S. because of the trade war.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have any relationship with them,\u201d Lefebvre said.<\/p>\n

Ford did not reference his earlier threat directed at the U.S. when he was in Sudbury last week but rather called the industry a \u201cheartbeat of the north and an engine of our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The premier was touring an expansion at Glencore Canada\u2019s Craig Mine, where the existing mine shaft was deepened to gain access to nickel and copper ore. Ford donned an orange hard hat and a high-visibility suit before descending deep into the hot, cavernous mine.<\/p>\n

He said the project reinforces the province\u2019s position as \u201ca global supplier of high-class nickel the world needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd guess who else needs it?\u201d Ford said. \u201cPresident Trump needs it desperately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says everything is on the table, including surcharges on electricity the province sends to several American states, amid the escalating U.S.-Canada trade war. Ford called U.S. President Donald Trump a ‘loser’ in his response to the latest tariff threats.<\/p>\n

The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Despite the rhetoric, Marie Litalien, president of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, said \u201cit\u2019s business as usual\u201d for the municipality, which is used to weathering economic ups and downs.<\/p>\n

Questions about tariff ramifications are hanging over some small- and medium-sized businesses, she said, but the community is focused on attracting investment and strengthening their international relationships.<\/p>\n

The politics of Ford\u2019s threat to cut the U.S. off from critical minerals is \u201cnot really of any consequence to us,\u201d she said, adding the government should keep putting funding toward Canadian infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Because Sudbury is a global mining centre, \u201cI have no doubt that we\u2019re prepared to deal with any short-term and long-term effects in this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Sadequl Islam, an economics professor at Sudbury\u2019s Laurentian University, said there are lessons for flailing Ontario municipalities.<\/p>\n

Relying heavily on one industry \u2013 such as Sault Ste. Marie\u2019s dependence on steel \u2013 is risky, Islam said, and other communities could learn from Sudbury\u2019s diversification. For example, it\u2019s had success boosting its financial services sector on top of its position as a mining powerhouse.<\/p>\n

Size also matters in Sudbury\u2019s case, he said, as it is the largest municipality in the province by land area, and it could benefit from the mayor\u2019s push for a special economic zone designation.<\/p>\n

Lefebvre, who is seeking re-election this fall, said his push for the designation is a unique ask, but argued Sudbury contributes more to the province\u2019s economy than many other municipalities and deserves infrastructure support.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are an economic zone that is very special in our country,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody else has this around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Robinson, a retired professor of resource and environmental economics at Laurentian, also said Sudbury stands to suffer much less than the rest of the country.<\/p>\n

Robinson also doubts the U.S. would ever impose tariffs on nickel, pointing out that the metal is necessary for vehicles made by billionaire Elon Musk\u2019s Tesla, and Musk is an on-again-off-again ally of the president. And if tariffs on nickel were to be imposed, much of the effects would be offset by adjustments in international markets, Robinson said, and the U.S. would simply be raising prices for their own manufacturers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do without American wine and whiskey,\u201d he said, but the U.S. can\u2019t do without the goods that go into production processes, from nickel and uranium to potash and timber.<\/p>\n

He, too, believes Ford\u2019s threat to cut off critical minerals was a smart play.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens if you choked all those goods off?\u201d Robinson said. \u201cSuddenly, you\u2019ve got a baseball bat instead of a pencil to fight with.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Doug Ford tours the Glencore Onaping Depth Project in Sudbury, Ont., last Thursday.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":880740,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,45,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-880739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/880740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}