Rhenium: China's boom in demand and US classification as a critical raw material
The price of rhenium has risen sharply in recent months - triggered primarily by growing demand from China.
Energy transition without the USA: a damper on demand for raw materials?
For the second time since 2020, the USA is turning its back on the Paris Climate Agreement. What could this step mean for climate protection and the expansion of renewable energies? What effects can be expected on the demand for strategic raw materials? Our market commentary sheds light on the possible consequences. Just a few hours after taking office, the new US President Donald Trump [...]
China: Further export restrictions for raw materials
The People's Republic is tightening export regulations for a number of critical resources, thereby setting a further geopolitical accent. Beijing has expanded the list of raw materials that require an export licence. According to an announcement by the Ministry of Commerce on 4 February, these regulations now apply to certain compounds and products made from indium, molybdenum, bismuth, tungsten and tellurium. Affected by the [...]
Gallium, germanium, antimony: China stops deliveries to the USA
The USA tightens its chip sanctions against China - the next day, the People's Republic responds with an export ban on certain critical minerals. There is also likely to be an impact on markets in third countries. The export of certain critical raw materials from China to the USA has been banned since Tuesday. The Ministry of Commerce justified the export restrictions, which became known on the same day, with [...]
Heavy rare earths: Supply situation could tighten
According to media reports, the mining of rare earths in Myanmar has currently been interrupted. As the country is of global importance, particularly in the area of heavy representatives of this element group, the effects could be reflected in higher prices. Around half of the heavy rare earths such as terbium are mined in Myanmar, but a shortage is now apparently looming, as the [...]
Hafnium: What comes after the price record?
Following a record high last year - driven by demand from the semiconductor and aviation industries - the price of hafnium has stabilised at a high level after a brief setback. What is the background to this development? The massive rise in the price of hafnium at the end of 2022 is primarily due to the sharp increase in demand from [...]
After gallium and germanium: China introduces export restrictions for antimony
Just over a year after export restrictions for gallium and germanium came into force, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced similar rules for antimony on 15 August 2024. They will apply from 15 September 2024 to both the semimetal and its various processing forms and technologies for preparation and further processing. We have summarised the developments for you in our market commentary. Which [...]
Whitepaper Critical Raw Materials Act
Whitepaper on the Critical Raw Materials Act More mining, more recycling: the Critical Raw Materials Act, the first EU-wide law to secure the supply of important raw materials, will soon come into force. What are the key points of this ambitious piece of legislation? And what questions remain unanswered? We shed light on this in our white paper, which was published in cooperation with Adamas [...]
Critical raw materials 2024: political turning points and China's influence
With the upcoming elections in Taiwan and the USA and the Critical Raw Materials Act coming into force, decisive developments are looming on the commodity markets in 2024. The focus is not only on political decisions, but also on the influence of China, which can influence the availability and pricing of critical raw materials with its trade policy. The [...]
No more Chinese technologies for Western rare earth industries
Beijing is sending a strong signal in the global competition for rare earths: Further key technologies for their refinement and processing will no longer be exported. The measure, which is attributed to national security reasons, could have a negative impact on global efforts to establish their own value chains. At the same time, it once again emphasises the importance of the latter for the rest of the world. China is consolidating its dominance [...]