The governments of Canada and Quebec are negotiating with Glencore Plc to prevent the closure of the country's only copper smelter. The Swiss mining giant threatened to shut down the facility in Quebec after provincial regulators imposed new pollution-control requirements that would cost hundreds of millions to implement.

The smelter, which has been operating for decades, represents a critical piece of Canada's copper processing infrastructure. Glencore's threat to close the facility has raised alarms about the economic impact on the region, where the plant provides hundreds of jobs and supports local suppliers. The company argues the new environmental standards would make the aging facility economically unviable.

Negotiations are ongoing as both governments seek to find a solution that satisfies environmental regulations while keeping the smelter operational. The facility's closure would force Canada to export raw copper concentrate for processing abroad, undermining domestic value-added production. The outcome will determine whether this vital industrial asset remains part of Canada's mining sector or becomes another casualty of tightening environmental standards.