Chris Selley: A European alliance deserves more seriousness than Carney’s treated it with
Healthcare and infrastructure spending top that list
Donald Trump, in a recent statement on social media, claimed that the United States does not require Canada, while Canada, in turn, needs the US. However, this assertion overlooks the critical minerals that Canada provides to the US, particularly for its military technology. In fact, Canada is the United States' largest foreign source of minerals, supplying approximately $47 billion worth of minerals each year.
A significant proportion of the aluminum used in the US annually – around 60% – comes from Canada. This metal is indispensable for the US military, being utilized in various components such as shell casings, ship hulls, and aircraft fuselages. The F-35 fighter jet, for instance, has an aluminum airframe comprising approximately 40%.
Moreover, the US military places a high emphasis on aluminum due to its lightweight nature, which offers numerous advantages. Trump himself recently expressed his need for aluminum, stating, "This country desperately needs aluminum... We get it all from Canada for the most part, and we need it badly."
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- Trump says the US doesn’t need Canada. But it’s the source of key minerals for the military | Vince Beiser theguardian.com
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- WARMINGTON: Canada a step closer to joining Europe while moving away from Trump’s USA torontosun.com
- Canadian PM Carney sets out vision for alliance with EU lemonde.fr
- QuickQuotes: Reaction to Carney’s move to strike new alliance with the European Union winnipegfreepress.com
