Read the declaration
The Department of Natural Resources (NRCan) of Canada and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) of the Commonwealth of Australia (Australia), hereinafter referred to as the 'participants', recognize the strategic importance of critical minerals to the economic prosperity of our 2 countries. Canada and Australia are 2 large-scale likeminded producer nations holding some of the world’s most significant critical minerals reserves. As representatives of producer nations, we concur on the need for our 2 nations to deepen our bilateral alliance and move from competition to collaboration to address the growing need for secure, diversified, and resilient critical minerals supply chains that reduce reliance on any single source.
We acknowledge the significance of critical minerals for the economic and national security of our countries, including defense applications, the energy transition, clean technology manufacturing, and advanced manufacturing. We share mutual interest in fostering innovation, rules-based trade, investment, and collaboration on critical minerals.
Objectives
- Promote and strengthen cooperation and trade in the critical minerals value chain, with a focus on linking upstream production with midstream technologies, including mineral processing, refining, and recycling.
- Strive to facilitate public investments by governments to advance projects of mutual interest, in addition to promoting private capital investment in priority projects.
- Encourage commercial partnerships and research collaborations between Canadian and Australian companies, financial institutions, research organizations, and Indigenous partners.
- Enhance the economic prosperity of both of our countries through coordinated efforts in addressing policy challenges faced by producer nations including high capital costs and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) driven objectives.
Areas of cooperation
- Project financing, investment and trade: Explore options to use all available tools to co-invest in commercially viable projects through blended financing mechanisms drawing on both Canadian and Australian public investment tools, including Canada’s defence stockpiling regime and Australia’s critical minerals strategic reserve as well as our respective export finance instruments.
- Technology development & deployment: Encourage joint research, development, and demonstration projects in strategic areas, including processing, refining, and recycling technologies, with a focus on low-carbon and circular economy approaches.
- Policy & regulatory alignment: Share best practices and exchange on standards on ESG, traceability, and permitting processes taking into account relevant legislation to facilitate trade and investment, and recognizing our shared and continued commitment to responsible mining, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, engagement with local communities, and respect of the rights of Indigenous peoples.
- Standards-based market: Ensure that emerging standards-based markets capture the unique challenges that producer nations face in achieving high ESG standards at the mine site and in early-stage processing.
- Supply chain resilience: Share best practices and tools to address any disruptions to project development and execution in our countries.
- Information sharing: Establish a mechanism to share information on stockpiling and our respective project development pipelines.
Implementation and funding
- An in-person ministerial will be established within 6 months of signing this joint declaration of intent (JDI) to assess progress and establish a concrete work plan for the coming year, with defined outcomes. A ministerial will take place on an annual basis to monitor and follow up on progress of implementation in the areas of cooperation of this JDI.
- The ministerial will be supported by a special envoy nominated by each participant. The special envoys will conduct analysis to map our value chains to identify areas for cooperation, including reciprocal offtakes for mining projects and co-investment in each other’s stockpiles.
- The participants may invite representatives from industry, Indigenous communities, academia, and other stakeholders to participate in specific initiatives.
- This JDI is not legally binding and does not create any financial commitment.
- Funding for activities will be subject to the availability of appropriated funds and respective domestic laws and regulations.
Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Australia Minister for Resources and Northern Australia will lead the work outlined in this JDI, and coordinate policies and investments to support these shared priorities.
Signed in duplicate at Toronto, on 1 November 2025, in the English and French languages, each version being equally valid.
Signatories
- For the Department of Natural Resources of Canada: Minister for Resources and Energy, Tim Hodgson
- For the Department of Industry, Science and Resources of the Commonwealth of Australia: Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King