The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that germanium is used in fibre optic networks, infrared vision systems and solar panels. As part of an analysis of what the United States needs from Canada, Kate Helmore writes that last month, China, which had been the biggest supplier of germanium to the U.S., halted exports to that country citing national-security concerns. Canada is able to fill part of that gap. In 2023, Canada supplied 25 per cent of germanium imports to the U.S. Vancouver's Teck Resources is the only Canadian supplier of germanium to the U.S. On Thursday, federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Canada is considering imposing taxes on exports of critical minerals to the U.S. He did not specify which critical minerals could be subject to tariffs, but earlier in the week he stressed how much the U.S. relies on Canada for uranium, potash, germanium, zinc, nickel, copper and graphite. Mr. Wilkinson earlier proposed a joint investment with the U.S. to bolster production of germanium at Teck's Trail complex in British Columbia. B.C. Premier David Eby supports such a move, but has kept the door open to a tougher approach, saying export tariffs or export bans could become necessary.