BRASïLIA (AFP) - Canada spied on communications at Brazil's Mining and Energy Ministry, according to Canadian intelligence documents revealed on Sunday by Globo television.

Documents leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, purportedly from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, show a detailed outline of the Brazilian ministry's communications including phone calls, emails and Internet traffic.

Earlier disclosures by Snowden that the United States spied on the same ministry, as well as on President Dilma Rousseff and her aides, have greatly strained US-Brazilian ties.

Canada has mining interests in Brazil, Mining and Energy Minister Edilson Lobao told Globo. He described the development as "serious."

"There are many Canadian businesses interested in doing business in our country. If that is where the interest in spying comes from, to help certain business interests, I cannot say," Lobao added.

Snowden, a 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor, is wanted by the United States after revealing details of a massive NSA electronic surveillance program.

Snowden spent more than a month in transit in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before slipping into Russia where he was granted asylum.