Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeCommoditiesMiningNewsOttawa bets big on Teck's germanium production in Trail: What is it?Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson announced a $400 million commitment to expand Teck Resources' smelterLast updated 9 hours ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson launched Ottawa's $2 billion Canada critical mineral accelerator fund with a $400 million commitment to expansion of key capacity in Teck Resources Ltd.'s Trail smelter. Photo by Tracy LeighBy volume, germanium is a small byproduct of the thousands of tonnes of zinc refined by Teck Resources Ltd.’s smelter in Trail in southeastern B.C., but it is a critical mineral that is behind a major investment that Ottawa is making in a planned $850 million expansion of the operation.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 AccountorNatural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Tuesday in Trail that Ottawa wants to take “an equity-like” stake of up to $400 million in the expansion, which would double the smelter’s capacity to produce germanium, antimony and possibly new gallium.Teck CEO Jonathan Price said in a statement that the Trail smelter, with a history that stretches back 130 years, is “a cornerstone of North America’s critical minerals ecosystem,” and that Ottawa’s investment created the “potential to deliver new supply of strategic metals while providing strong returns for Teck shareholders.”Breaking business news, incisive views, must-reads and market signals. Weekdays by 9 a.m.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 Posthaste will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againTeck is completing a merger with rival Anglo American Plc and its commitment to an $850 million expansion of the Trail smelter, 400 kilometres east of Vancouver, which would secure 1,400 jobs at the facility, was key to Ottawa’s approval of the merger.And Tuesday, Hodgson said Ottawa would look to negotiate offtake agreements for some of the future production of those critical minerals — germanium, antimony and gallium — to bolster Canada’s strategy to secure a critical-minerals supply chain.Here are the answers to some questions about how important germanium is and where it fits in that strategy.Germanium is a hard, greyish-white mineral with a metallic lustre that is brittle like glass. It is a semiconductor that is useful in fibre optics, infrared night vision systems and other technological applications, according to a U.S. Geological Survey information sheet.The mineral is primarily a byproduct of zinc mining, but can also be associated with lead and copper mineralization, according to Natural Resources Canada. Teck, through its Trail operations, is one of the world’s largest producers of germanium, supplying several grades of the refined element including fibre-optic-grade germanium dioxide, according to the company.Teck lays claim to being one of the world’s largest producers of zinc, some coming from its Antamina copper mine in northern Peru, but most coming from its massive Red Dog open pit zinc and lead mine 170 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in northwest Alaska.Concentrates from the Alaska mine are shipped to the Trail smelter, which refines 19 different products in total including zinc, lead, gold, indium, cadmium and germanium.Fibre optics, computer chips and other technologies that use germanium only need small amounts of the element, but it is crucial to their function. China is the world’s No. 1 producer of the trio of minerals germanium, antimony and gallium, and at the end of 2024, it slapped a U.S. export ban on their production.Between 2021 and 2024, the U.S. imported 41 per cent of its total germanium from Belgium, 23 per cent from China, 17 per cent from Canada and 14 per cent from Germany. Before the last federal election, former natural resources minister Jonathan Wilkinson proposed using Teck’s potential for expansion as strategic leverage in trade negotiations with an increasingly protectionist U.S. President Donald Trump.Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted sovereign critical minerals production as a key element of diversifying trade, particularly in establishing supply chains with “trusted international partnerships.”His 2025 budget included a $2 billion “sovereign fund” to make its own direct, strategic investments in Canadian critical minerals. Tuesday, Hodgson said Ottawa’s up to $400 million contribution to the proposed Trail expansion will be the first investment from that fund, which is being called the Canada critical mineral accelerator.Funds will come from Ottawa’s Canada growth fund, which is being managed by Export Development Canada. The project will also benefit from a streamlined regulatory process under the B.C. strategic investment fund as it is a priority in the province’s economic strategy,B.C. Critical Minerals Minister Jagrup Brar said in a statement the expansion “will support the critical minerals value chain and ensure long-term sustainability of Teck Trail.”Hodgson said the offtake agreements Ottawa is looking to secure from the agreement “will also help us build Canada’s national stockpile of critical minerals, which enhances our strategic autonomy and our ability to help our global partners.”Besides germanium, Canada will look to secure supplies of antimony, which is critical as a fire retardant and used in batteries and metal alloys, and potentially gallium, which is key in high-performance semiconductors used in telecommunications, radar systems and next-generation electronics. 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.