Boosting transatlantic ties is a ‘moral imperative’ amid geopolitical turmoil, says minister for mineral-rich Canadian province.
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Quebec and Europe should deepen economic ties and seek to bolster their collective supply chain resilience, the Canadian province’s international affairs minister has said, citing mounting tensions with Washington and Beijing.
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America’s tariffs and China’s export controls on strategically critical minerals have led Quebec to “double down” on its relationship with Europe, a continent with which it shares deep historical, social, and cultural bonds, the Christopher Skeete said.
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The only Francophone-majority jurisdiction in North America, Quebec shares “common values, common views of the world, [and] a common fate” with Europe, Skeete said.
“We’re doubling down on that right now, hoping to go further and do more. We believe in a deeper relationship with Europe as a way of mitigating some of the risks of having a single client, which historically has been the US.”
The comments come amid warming ties between Canada and Europe over the past year, as Donald Trump’s sweeping levies, ambivalence toward NATO, and threats to annex Canada and Greenland spur efforts to boost economic and defence cooperation.
Quebec’s manufacturing-heavy economy has been hit especially hard by this geopolitical upheaval. Trump’s duties have hammered the province’s export-dependent industries, particularly its aluminium smelters. More than 70% of Quebec’s exports go to the US.
The province – which shares competence for its economic affairs with Canada’s federal government – is also highly susceptible to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals, which are used in numerous modern technologies and whose production is dominated by China.
However, the mineral-rich territory is increasingly producing lithium, graphite, and many other elements deemed strategically critical by Brussels. “We can help Europe be more sovereign, but also reduce its dependency on Asian supply chains,” Skeete said, adding that the province is seeking to boost both its mining and refining capacity.
Asked whether breaking Beijing’s chokehold on the world’s critical mineral supply will be difficult, Skeete replied: “It’s not a question about whether or not it’s difficult. I think it’s a moral imperative. I think we have no choice.”
Skeete also touted Quebec’s ability to bolster Europe’s defence sector, noting that a Montreal-based company is the only Canadian firm so far to land a contract under the EU’s €150 billion ‘SAFE’ loan scheme.
“We definitely want a second SAFE programme,” he said. “If we don’t right now use this opportunity of a changing world to deeply integrate our economies, I think we’re missing out on a huge opportunity.”
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