Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Claude Guay has affirmed that, in a time of uncertainty and changing trade and economic relationships worldwide, Canada continues to expand and strengthen its network globally, including in Chile.

In meeting with industry leaders from Chilean mining companies Codelco, Antofagasta, Corfo, Teck Resources and MineSense, as well as senior Chilean government officials, at the Conference of Mining Ministries of the Americas last week, Guay confirmed the two countries continue to advance responsible resource development, strengthen critical mineral supply chains and create new opportunities for trade and investment.

He said the growing ties between Canada and Chile are evidenced by a recent five-year agreement signed between Codelco and Canada's MacLean Engineering to accelerate innovative technologies for underground mining operations; Canada's support for critical minerals capacity building, including training, across Latin America and the Caribbean through the G7 Minerals Skills Network; and the Canada-Chile Eureka project, to which Canada is contributing $450 000 for research and development of network analytics and Internet of Things connectivity solutions.

The National Research Council of Canada's Industrial Research Assistance Programme is also collaborating with Global Affairs Canada's Trade Commissioner Service to lead the Canadian Cleantech in Mining Mission in Chile. This involves helping 12 innovative Canadian companies to enter the Chilean market, strengthen their commercial readiness and accelerate the deployment of scalable and cost-effective solutions to address key challenges in the Chilean mining sector such as water management, decarbonisation, energy efficiency and environmental performance.

Guay further highlighted in a statement issued on August 28 the progress being made under a Canada-Chile Memorandum of Understanding on Critical Minerals and Sustainable Development of Minerals and Metals, signed in 2024, which includes initiatives to support innovation, skills development and commercial partnerships.

For context, Canada is the largest foreign investor in Chile's mining sector, having C$43-billion worth of assets in the country held by 52 companies. In turn, Chile is the second-largest destination for Canadian mining assets abroad.

Guay said his meetings with government officials and industry leaders reinforced Canada's role as a reliable global partner and opened opportunities for further collaboration between Canada and Chile.

"By advancing co-operation with Chile and countries across the Americas, Canada is diversifying our international partners, identifying reliable markets for our minerals and businesses, strengthening critical minerals supply chains and supporting long-term economic prosperity and security for Canadians," he concluded.