CALGARY — Canada’s coal industry has said it has received no indication Ottawa intends to recognize metallurgical — steelmaking — coal as a critical mineral, while Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said last week that Canada must capitalize on a global mining investment boom.Rina Blacklaws, vice-president of industry development with the Coal Association of Canada (CAC), told the Western Standard that metallurgical coal deserves a place in Ottawa’s efforts to attract investment and strengthen supply chains.“To date, we have not received any indication that the federal government intends to designate metallurgical coal as a critical mineral,” she said.“However, we remain hopeful that its strategic importance to Canada's economy, global supply chains and steel production will be recognized.”Hodgson said the world was moving towards the “largest investment super-cycle in the history of the metals and mining industry” at an event hosted at Canada House in London on October 19..He added that “critical minerals are no longer simply industrial commodities, they are inputs that will decide which economies can grow, which can compete, and which countries will secure their economic futures.”Blacklaws said discussions around that topic should include metallurgical coal, which is used to produce steel for construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, and defence capabilities. She stated that in 2024, Canadian metallurgical coal exports were valued at roughly $8.9 billion.“As the federal government looks to attract investment, strengthen supply chains and accelerate responsible resource development, steelmaking coal should be part of that conversation,” she stated.Ottawa last expanded the list in June 2024, adding high-purity iron ore, phosphorus, and silicon metal.However, metallurgical coal still remains absent from the list of 34 critical minerals.Other countries have moved to recognize steelmaking coal’s strategic importance.The United States added it to its critical-minerals list in November 2025, while India designated coking coal a critical and strategic mineral in January 2026.CAC has submitted a formal response to Ottawa’s consultation on an updated Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, outlining the case for inclusion.Blacklaws said Natural Resources Canada has indicated the list is reviewed approximately every three years, with the next update anticipated around 2027.“However, we have not received confirmation that changes cannot be made sooner,” she said..Canadian entrepreneur W. Brett Wilson, chairman of Prairie Merchant Corporation, has also urged Ottawa to recognize metallurgical coal and submitted his own proposal on August 14. However, he expressed concerns about the process for adding a mineral to the federal list, saying the federal government’s “hang-up was that [they] wouldn’t approve critical mineral status until three years had passed.”In his proposal, Wilson argued the resource’s importance to steel production and defence supply chains makes its recognition an economic and national-security issue.The government’s official website states that, in order for a mineral to be deemed critical for Canada, it has to meet one or more of the following criteria: it is essential to Canada’s economic or national security, it is required for Canada’s national transition to a sustainable low-carbon and digital economy, or it is a sustainable and strategic source of critical minerals for Canada’s international allies.The website adds that, in order to qualify for critical mineral status, the prospective mineral must also meet two other requirements: “its supply is threatened, and it has a reasonable chance of being produced in Canada in the near to medium term.”.Mike Young, former CEO of Northback, the company behind Alberta’s proposed Grassy Mountain metallurgical coal project, said he believes the mineral meets Ottawa’s criteria, comparing its strategic importance with that of potash and uranium, both of which are already on Canada’s list.Young criticized what he described as governments’ tendency to prioritize administrative processes over results, drawing on his experience dealing with officials in Canada and Australia.“Most people in government don't use the word outcome,” he said.“They get caught up in process, and then the process becomes the outcome.”He also questioned Canada’s current Critical Minerals Strategy for being a part of the country’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.“How does potash fit into that? And why, if it's so important to Canada, are we exporting so much of our uranium? Why aren't we ordering uranium mines to just keep it for Canadian requirements? There is sort of a double standard,” he said.He then added that potash is a part of global food security, as it is used almost exclusively to produce agricultural fertilizers; uranium is part of energy security due to its high energy density and reliability; and metallurgical coal contributes to steel security because it is an essential component of the steelmaking process.Young also warned the seaborne metallurgical coal market could face shortages in the 2030s, saying lengthy mine-development timelines could leave producers unable to respond quickly enough to demand..W. Brett Wilson urges Ottawa to list metallurgical coal as a critical mineral.“When you look out at how long it takes projects to be approved, and you look at the projects that are still on the drawing board, that deficit's not gonna get filled. So suddenly it becomes a steel security issue,” Young told the Western Standard, adding that many steel manufacturers he has spoken with over his career, particularly in Asia, have expressed concerns about securing future supplies.“I can tell you they are sh*tting themselves about the future supply of metallurgical coal,” he said.“Iron ore is not such an issue, but metallurgical coal is becoming an issue for them.”India is among the markets Canadian producers are pursuing as the country expands its steel industry.During Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India in March, British Columbia’s Elk Valley Resources signed memorandums of understanding with four Indian companies discussing new metallurgical coal sales totalling 1.2 million tonnes, worth approximately C$285 million.Blacklaws said Canada risks weakening its position in those markets if federal policies fail to support and attract investment.“Canada has an opportunity to capitalize on growing global demand for steelmaking coal, particularly in emerging markets like India,” she stated.“However, regulatory uncertainty, lengthy approval processes and a lack of recognition for metallurgical coal in federal policy risk putting Canadian producers at a competitive disadvantage. We need policies that encourage responsible investment and development, not create barriers to it.”The Western Standard reached out to Minister Hodgson’s office but had not heard back at the time of publication.
