Ontario threatened to cut off U.S. critical minerals supply. Sudbury isn’t panicking

SUDBURY — With each development in U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, many Ontario cities have received news of tariffs on Canadian goods with panic and devastation for their local industries. A Hamilton official last year warned that tariffs in the steel town could spell “the end of the industry” and thousands of jobs lost.

In Oshawa, autoworkers already mourning the steady decline of the industry feared for their ability to put food on the table. But even as Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off the flow of critical minerals to the United States in response to the latest round of Trump’s tariffs, the province’s mining capital appears unshaken, minimizing trade fears as it doubles down on getting its product to other markets. 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 — its two key exports — are not subject to tariffs.

The city is only feeling indirect effects from some suppliers, he said, so he’s not overly worried about the United States. “They need our nickel to continue,” Lefebvre said in an interview. “They would just be hurting themselves.”He added, “We’re confident that the U.S.

will not want to impose tariffs on us.” Critical minerals have become increasingly important to American national security and manufacturing. The Pentagon has sought more secure supplies 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.

only has one operational nickel mine, in Michigan, and the nickel extracted there is processed in Sudbury, the mayor said with a laugh. 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. 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. The versatile metal known for its strength and ability to withstand extreme temperatures has long been Sudbury’s claim to fame. The Big Nickel, a nine-metre tall replica of a Canadian five-cent coin, is one of the be…