Global conflicts and political decisions often have a direct impact on commodity markets. The past year once again provided numerous examples of this: What developments characterised the markets for technology metals, rare earths and precious metals? Which commodities proved to be crisis-proof? And what prospects are emerging? Our comprehensive annual report provides the answers.
Geopolitical tensions between China and the US reached new heights in 2024. Since the start of the trade conflict in 2018, which began with punitive tariffs on products such as solar modules and household appliances, the dispute has increasingly spread to critical raw materials. The most recent highlight: China's ban on exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the United States - a clear response to the pressure coming from Washington. This measure not only emphasises the dependence of many countries on China's raw material exports, but also draws attention to the uneven global distribution of the production and processing of critical resources.
Europe's answer: More autonomy through the Critical Raw Materials Act
Against this backdrop, Europe feels compelled to strengthen its own security of supply for raw materials. With the Critical Raw Materials Act, a law was passed in spring 2024 to promote domestic extraction and independent value chains for materials that are classified as indispensable. At the same time, diversification efforts are progressing worldwide. New extraction and production countries are establishing themselves in Asia and Latin America, while high-tech locations are increasingly seeking partnerships with countries rich in raw materials. Despite these approaches, the concentration of many critical resources remains high. This continues to pose enormous challenges for industry and politics.
You can find out what opportunities and risks the past year brought for technology metals, rare earths and precious metals and how our experts assess developments in our detailed annual report.
The annual report is a collaboration between TRADIUM and the news portal Rawmaterials.net was created.
