Mining market in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) has a limited mining sector in terms of extraction and processing. The focus is primarily on associated financial and services to the mining industry. 

The UK is a global leader in mining finance and services. This includes:

• banks
• investors and funds for financing projects
• investment banks bringing companies public
• trading platforms and trading companies

 In addition, several large mining companies have headquarters in the UK.

Currently there are only two or three operating mines in the UK. There are many stone and rock quarries, but few mineral and metal mining operations. The UK is looking to develop a mining industry focused on tin and lithium in the South-west.

The UK's Critical Mineral Strategy identified midstream and downstream processing as a strategic opportunity for the UK. This includes refining, separating, and purifying raw ore into high-grade, industrial-use materials as well as manufacturing.

• The UK's midstream sector is still small 
• Commodity prices are uncertain. Many commodities are facing low prices due to overcapacity and therefore there is a lack of financing available 
• The limited number of defence companies in the UK make it difficult to feed into the established supply chains.

According to the  International Energy Agency (IEA), the UK mining sector is currently undergoing a strategic shift, heavily focused on:

• securing critical mineral supply chains
• fostering innovation in sustainability
• pivoting away from traditional fossil fuel extraction towards minerals needed for the clean energy transition

In 2025, the UK released a new critical minerals strategy aimed at strengthening the UK's access to critical raw materials and reducing its current overreliance on foreign suppliers

The focus of the strategy is both domestic and international.  Domestically, it aims to boost the UK's production to at least 10% of domestic demand by 2035.  This plan extends across the value chain including the extraction, processing, and refining of minerals and metals.   

The UK will also limit reliance on any single country for more than 60% of its supply of any critical mineral by the mid-2030s, addressing vulnerabilities highlighted by China's dominance in global mining and refining.

This requirement for diversification is an opportunity for Canadian minerals and metals

There is significant commercial opportunity for Canadian mining sector companiesin the UK. This includes supporting the UK's ambition to build a midstream mining sector both in terms of providing technology and services, and exporting minerals and metals to feed these mid-stream processes.

For more information on mning in the UK market, please contact Marcin Zydowicz (marcin.zydowicz@international.gc.ca).