Canada, USA and Mexico collaborate to increase chips and hydrogen industries

In a tripartite partnership, three countries are working to increase North American semiconductor production capacity and explore standards for developing hydrogen as a clean energy source. The United States, Mexico, and Canada agreed on a set of outcomes that focus on working together to address challenges from immigration to the climate crisis. Efforts are expected to begin with the "first Trilateral Semiconductor Forum" in early 2023, during which the Biden administration hopes to discuss investment opportunities in all three countries.

As part of this goal, the countries agreed to expand the critical mineral resources in North America to provide information on natural resources and reserves. To this end, each country is expected to conduct a geological survey and hold a tripartite workshop to share information and facilitate cooperation.

Mexico, with this partnership, hopes to exploit US chip production with its packaging, testing, and engineering facilities, while the US and Canada hope to exploit the country's mineral resources. Mexico currently has the 10th largest lithium deposits in the world and has recently moved to nationalise the extraction of these resources.

In addition to focusing on the semiconductor industry, the three countries also emphasised the importance of cooperation to solve the climate crisis.

The United States, Mexico, and Canada recognise that rapid and coordinated action is needed to build a clean energy economy and respond to the climate crisis. Numerous countries are adopting clean energy solutions, increasing the production and deployment of zero-emission vehicles, and switching to cleaner fuels.

The countries announced their goals to develop the North American clean hydrogen market, including potential R&D cooperation, safety rules and standards, cross-border hydrogen clusters, green cargo corridors, and integrated shipping. Although hydrogen is a potentially carbon-free fuel source, it can be more carbon-intensive than gas and coal if it is produced from fossil fuels rather than from a renewable energy source, i.e., by electrolysis using "green hydrogen."

In addition, countries committed to reducing methane emissions from solid waste and wastewater by at least 15% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. They also pledged to deepen cooperation on measuring and reducing methane from waste and agriculture, including achieving a global methane commitment through tripartite cooperation on methane and black carbon emissions.

The new Food Loss and Waste Action Plan also outlines national efforts to halve food loss and waste by 2030, while the Public Transit Decarbonisation Toolkit outlines best practices for electrifying public transport buses and reducing carbon emissions through the Joint Transit Decarbonisation Toolkit by the trilateral counties.

Finally, countries announced a joint commitment to conserving 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030.