Japanese delegation to visit Canada to meet with batteries and mining companies

OTTAWA, Jan 12 (Reuters) – Japan will send a delegation to meet with Canadian battery and mining companies early this year, while Canada is planning a trade mission to Japan later in October, officials said on Thursday. leaders of the two countries after meeting in Ottawa. .

As this year’s host of the Group of Seven (G7), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came to Canada to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before continuing on to Washington, where he will meet on Friday with US President Joe Biden.

“This spring, we look forward to welcoming a large business delegation from Japan,” Trudeau said. “They plan to meet with Canadian battery and mining companies and potential partners.”

The two leaders hosted a lunch meeting with Canadian business leaders where “they highlighted the growing and exciting commercial potential between the two countries,” according to a statement from Trudeau’s office.

Canada is seeking to attract foreign investment in the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, particularly in the mining and processing of its abundant critical minerals used in EV batteries, especially for countries wishing to reduce their dependence on China for these materials.

Earlier in the day, Kishida said Japan is counting on Canada to “play a major role as a resource-rich country” in energy.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp, through a subsidiary, has a 15% stake in the Shell-led LNG Canada joint venture, which Trudeau said was “the biggest private investment in Canada.” The liquefied natural gas terminal is being built in British Columbia to supply Canadian natural gas to Asia.

The two leaders agreed that “China is a central challenge,” Kishida said at the press conference, and both reiterated their support for dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

To counter China’s influence in the region and increase its own strategic grip, Canada launched an Indo-Pacific Strategy in November.

Kishida hailed Canada’s diplomatic pivot to Asia and its efforts to deepen ties with a fast-growing Indo-Pacific region of 40 countries representing nearly C$47 trillion ($35.2 trillion) in economic activity. .

“The two leaders discussed their concerns about China’s actions in the region and agreed on the importance of a coordinated approach to security in the Indo-Pacific,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement. .

($1 = 1.3360 Canadian dollars)

Reporting by Steve Scherer and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio

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