Market for critical raw materials and its influence on mineral prices

Abstract

The paper has focused on market for critical raw materials and its influence on mineral prices. Usually ores and ore products are deemed critical raw materials if they mostly or totally come from foreign countries, have difficult replacement, and are vital for the Nation's economy, especially for defence issues. Tungsten, niobium, graphite and lithium were chosen for analysis from the critical mineral commodities declared by the European Commission and the Government of the Czech Republic. An analysis of these mineral commodity market conditions has been made, and their impacts on particular mineral availability and price have been assessed. As regards tungsten supplies, there are relatively many producer countries with the existing or developing extraction structures, but China has at its disposal 60% of the deposits. Lithium reserves are sufficient, but supplies are highly concentrated - four producer companies deliver about 90% of lithium in the world. Also niobium supplies are extremely concentrated, in the period, 2009-2012, two Brazilian mines and a single Canadian one produced 99% of niobium in the world. The biggest world producer of natural graphite is China that dominates 70% of the market.

Natural resources of the above mentioned mineral commodities are not critical. The Earth's crust deposits are sufficient for long-term exploitation, and what's more, a technology has been patented for lithium recycling. What rather matters is the issue of the free play of market forces. The theoretical preconditions for the free play of market forces and balanced price convergence - market presence of many various producers and many customers - are disturbed by producer structure, high concentration of mining companies and countries. Free market interference is implied in dominance of individual producer countries or production companies, and their ability to decide about production levels and related prices. Nevertheless, the inevitable rise of mineral commodity prices will mean that exploitation of some sources, which are currently deemed uneconomical, may become interesting.