News from the North

It’s 2020, and we can see clearly there’s a lot to look forward to this year: USMCA ratification in the Senate; continued work on critical minerals; deeper space cooperation; and more. Read on to find out what’s ahead.

USMCA: Creating Sustainable Growth and Opportunity

At the end of 2019, the House of Representatives took action to move the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) a step closer to ratification. In 2020, it’s the Senate’s turn. Watch our video to learn how the new agreement, once ratified, will create new and higher-paying jobs, protect workers and the environment, and strengthen communities.   

Critical Cooperation on Critical Minerals

In June 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump announced that Canada and the U.S. will develop a join action plan on critical minerals collaboration to increase North American production capacity and reduce reliance on other sources of these materials, enhancing our security and trade partnerships. In December 2019, Canada and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding confirming Canada’s participation in the Energy Resource Governance Initiative to promote sound mining sector governance, and secure and resilient supply chains for critical energy minerals. The signing of this MOU builds on our commitment to advance discussion on a Joint Action Plan. Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan explained further, “Canada is in a unique position to strengthen global supply chains for critical minerals. We are proud to partner with the United States through the Energy Resource Governance Initiative, to advance responsible development of critical minerals and ensure mineral security.”

Friends, Partners, Allies (even in Space)

This month, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronauts – Jenni Sidey-Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk – will graduate along with their American peers from NASA's astronaut basic training during a ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen supervised the class, the first Canadian to hold this role. Read more about our history collaborating in space.