TORONTO - Experts say the proposed merger between Teck Resources Ltd. and Anglo American PLC to create a $70 billion, critical minerals-focused giant could help Canada's efforts to boost production of the metals that are key to the energy transition.
John Steen, director of the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining at UBC, says the size of the combined company could help it move faster to develop mines than Teck could alone.
Teck and U.K.-based Anglo American have also committed to spend $4.5 billion in Canada over five years as part of its pitch to regulators for the deal, with a focus on the critical minerals space that the federal government has made a priority.
A good chunk of that spending is already committed by Teck, including upwards of $2.4 billion to extend the life of its Highland Valley Copper mine, but the companies say they will also spend on exploration as well as development in areas like B.C.'s Golden Triangle.Â
Steen says having what would be the world's fifth-biggest copper producer be based in Vancouver would especially help efforts to produce more of the metal that will "make or break" the energy transition.Â
He says the potential for the combined company to add to copper processing capacity at Teck's smelter in Trail, B.C., is notable as Canada has a shortage of critical minerals processing capacity, but that the company's talk of supporting new processing facilities seems like a longer-term prospect given the difficulty of building them.Â
This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Sept. 11, 2025.
