Critical minerals and green energy: two subjects Germany’s ambassador to Canada plans to explore during his first Manitoba visit

[German Ambassador ] Matthias Lüttenberg […] arrived ahead of 18 colleagues; a group of European ambassadors and high commissioners, part of a European Union delegation, landed in the keystone province Monday.

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The European Union delegation has […] discussions with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and ministerial roundtables on trade, clean energy and raw materials.

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The brief trip occurs as U.S. President Donald Trump slaps tariffs on countries globally and talk of market diversification intensifies. However, the EU ambassadors’ visit was planned beforehand, Lüttenberg said.

“I think it’s just underlining the importance of that mission that we are doing,” he continued. “We feel that, with all these changes going on … (this trip is) a very strong signal to say that, yes, we hear you when you say, ‘We want to diversify our trade routes.’

“We also would like to diversify.”

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[In 2023], Canadian exports to Germany totalled $7.1 billion. German imports to Canada amounted to $24.9 billion. Agricultural products and car parts are among the items being exchanged between the two countries.

Lüttenberg believes the trade still has “huge potential” to grow.

He listed zinc, lithium and nickel as Manitoba resources Germany could be interested in. The Port of Churchill is something to seriously consider, Lüttenberg added.

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“There’s certainly an opening for other markets,” Lüttenberg said. “Our doors are wide open.”

He’ll be joined in Winnipeg by ambassadors and high commissioners from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

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