Biden, Trudeau pledge to fight against authoritarian regimes

U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to stand together against authoritarian regimes on Friday, during Biden’s visit to Canada, to be achieved in part by reducing their dependence on other countries for critical minerals and semiconductors.

Canada has an abundance of critical minerals used to produce batteries and electric vehicles (EVs), yet China presently dominates the global market.

“I believe we have an incredible opportunity to work together so Canada and the United States can source and supply here in North America everything we need for reliable and resilient supply chains,” Biden said in a speech to the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.

“Our shared prosperity is deeply connected to our shared security,” Biden added. As NATO members, the two countries would “defend every inch of NATO territory,” he underlined.

Tune in as I address the Canadian Parliament. https://t.co/fXAEog5taM

— President Biden (@POTUS) March 24, 2023

Security policy is climate policy is economic policy

Trudeau said the two countries would stand together with Ukraine.

“Our way of living is facing multiple threats at the same time,” the Canadian PM said. “Security policy is climate policy is economic policy,” Trudeau repeated as many as three times during his speech.

“With growing competition, including from an increasingly assertive China, there's no doubt why it matters that we turn to each other now to build up a North American market on everything from semiconductors to solar panel batteries,” he stressed.

Throughout history, Canada and the United States have faced many challenges together – and our friendship has endured. Tune in as we strengthen that friendship, as we speak about our shared future, and as @POTUS Biden addresses Parliament: https://t.co/fGwHWaVtzI

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 24, 2023

New U.S.-Canadian projects

Biden announced USD 50 million to incentivize more U.S. and Canadian companies to invest in packaging semiconductors and said Canada would be providing up to USD 182 million for semiconductor projects in the near term, in a joint statement.

“Both countries will advance a cross-border packaging corridor, beginning with Canada and IBM providing a significant investment to develop new and expanded packaging and testing capabilities at its Bromont facility,” a joint statement informed.

The two countries also agreed to set up an energy transformation task force focusing on clean power and vowed to work together to create a “North American critical minerals supply chain,” the statement said.

Today, @POTUS and I covered plenty of ground. We spoke about growing our economies, creating good jobs for the middle class, supporting the Ukrainian people, fighting climate change, continuing to strengthen the partnership between Canada and the United States, and more. pic.twitter.com/ZiobypN9Jg

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 24, 2023

Trudeau is preparing a budget to be published on Tuesday, aimed at scaling up critical minerals and clean tech production.

Biden visits Ottawa less than a week after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow.