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Or sign-in if you have an account.Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu (C) arrives for a meeting of the Trade Ministers of the G7 countries in preparation for the summit of heads of State and government to be held in June in Evian, in Paris on May 6, 2026. Photo by Christophe PETIT TESSON / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesCanada is positioning itself as a trusted energy and critical minerals partner for Japan, as turbulence in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global energy flows and Beijing curtails rare earth exports to its Asian neighbour due to diplomatic tensions.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor“It’s important for our economic security that we work together with partners and allies to get those out of the ground and stabilize our industries, and really make sure that we all benefit from some of these transactions,” Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu told Bloomberg Friday after closing out a trip with a trade delegation that saw US$1.7 billion in newly signed deals.The trip came as resource-poor Japan seeks to diversify its supply of energy after the Middle East conflict disrupted energy supplies, and amid simmering political tensions between Beijing and Tokyo that have spilled over into trade restrictions targeting Japan. On Monday, Beijing expanded a general ban on Chinese exports that have both commercial and military use.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againSidhu said that he had a wide-ranging discussion on economic security, supply chains, and food security with Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi during his visit, adding that they had agreed to seek further avenues of cooperation.Energy has long been a strategic vulnerability for Japan, which does not have a wealth of resources and has depended almost entirely on imports to power its economy. The Albertan government is talking with Japanese counterparts to look into the export of crude oil to Japan.Japanese trading company Mitsubishi Corp. has also invested in Canada’s first large-scale LNG export project. Earlier this year, Mitsubishi said it was in talks with partners on expanding output at LNG Canada.“We don’t have any choke points — we can get our energy to Asian markets in 10 days. If you look at the Gulf of Mexico, it’s double that time,” Sidhu said. “It’s leading to a lot of calls to Canada saying, how can we lock in supply, because of volatility. Who knows when it’s going to happen again?”The minister didn’t mention specific cooperative projects between Japan and Canada on critical minerals in the interview, but touted how Canada can be a stable partner in providing such materials through frameworks including the Group of Seven (G7).“What can we do collectively together — stockpiling agreements, off-take agreements, joint projects — these are part of the conversations we’re having,” he said. “Because there are certain countries, unfortunately, that will turn the switch off and on, and that does not present a lot of certainty to industry that are manufacturing some of these advanced goods that we need.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.