Shortage of raw materials: TRADIUM offers security of supply for industry

Concerns about Germany’s supply of raw materials are increasing dramatically. The renewed lockdowns in China are having an impact on the export of mineral resources and making technology metals and rare earths scarcer. One of the leading suppliers for industrial customers in Europe, TRADIUM GmbH, guarantees prompt supply.

Frankfurt, May 11, 2022 – TRADIUM GmbH, one of Germany’s leading suppliers of raw materials and metals, guarantees the supply of high-quality raw materials to the industry despite unstable global supply chains. In 2022, Corona will continue to mean stress for supply chains and the supply of ores and minerals to many companies. In China, for example, new lockdowns are paralyzing important production sites and transshipment points for mineral resources, thus endangering supplies. Companies that are dependent on just-in-time deliveries of rare earths and technology metals are therefore facing great uncertainty. To ensure that production flows do not come to a standstill, TRADIUM can supply a wide range of technology metals and rare earths. See also traDIUM’s press release of March 23, 2022. The critical raw materials are also available at short notice in the qualities and quantities required by the industry.

Matthias Rüth, Managing Director of TRADIUM: “The manufacturing industry is constantly confronted with new difficulties in the procurement of materials and raw materials. As a result of the many corona waves and the Ukraine war, there is no calm in the commodity markets. In addition to very volatile prices, logistics is also causing turbulence. Means of transport are scarce, freight rates have risen worldwide. Without sufficient physical stockpiling of necessary materials, many companies risk stalling production flows.”

Lack of supplies from China

China is one of the most important producing countries for rare earths and also plays a leading role in the processing of mineral resources. The country covers over 90 percent of the world’s needs. Currently, China’s zero Covid policy threatens to slow down the extraction and transport of raw materials. For example, the rigorous lockdowns affect the city of Baotou, which is considered the rare earth center of China. One of the largest producers, the China Northern Rare Earth Group, is headquartered in Baotou and mines rare earths in this region. Ports such as Shanghai and Qinhuangdao, which play an important role in the supply chain of merchandise and raw materials to Europe, have also been shut down. The export of critical raw materials could thus come to a standstill. Recent data from China’s General Customs Administration already show a decline in rare earth exports. In April 2022, for example, about 4,400 tonnes less were exported than in March 2022. This corresponds to a minus of 8.6 percent.

Security of supply thanks to diversified supply chains and well-stocked warehouses

TRADIUM, which supplies rare earths and technology metals to numerous international industrial customers, offers security of supply despite the impending bottlenecks. The company owns a geographically diversified network of commodity producers that has grown over more than two decades. In this way, the company prevents dependencies and can react flexibly to bottlenecks or failures. In addition, TRADIUM holds large quantities of selected raw materials in its own high-security warehouse in Frankfurt – and thus centrally for the whole of Europe.

The following raw materials are in stock, among others:
Technology metals such as gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, rhenium
Precious metals such as gold, iridium, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, silver
Rare earths such as dysprosium, neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, yttrium

For each raw material and its processing products, the ISO-certified company offers detailed product specifications so that supply and demand can be quickly compared. Delivery can be made promptly within a few days.

Pictures for the message

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Barrels filled with rare earth oxides in the high-security warehouse of TRADIUM GmbH in Frankfurt am Main

Credits: TRADIUM GmbH, Kai Wipperfürth

Matthias Rüth, Managing Director of TRADIUM GmbH in Frankfurt am Main

Credits: TRADIUM GmbH, Mirco Lilge

Press contact for TRADIUM

Katrin Gräwe
Phone: +49-69-50 50 250-214
E-mail: press@tradium.com

About TRADIUM GmbH

As an owner-managed company, TRADIUM GmbH in Frankfurt Main has been successfully operating for a variety of customers since 1999. We supply a wide range of innovative industries that use technology metals, rare earths and precious metals. These include the electronics industry, the automotive industry, the glass and ceramics industry as well as dental technology. TRADIUM operates as a global company with a large number of international partners. Long-term cooperations ensure reliability, proximity to the market and currentness for the respective products. In the highly secure duty-free warehouse of the sister company METLOCK GmbH, companies can store their raw materials without storage facilities.