TELF AG examines the role of some strategic resources in the development of nations
The commonalities between the different mineral lists
By carefully analyzing the lists of “critical” minerals drawn up by different nations, it is possible to draw valuable indications on the present and future of the mining strategies of a large number of countries, also obtaining precious observations on the overall state of their economy and on the directions towards which is heading. Going beyond the role of individual minerals included in the lists of different nations, it is possible to take the next step, identifying the resources considered of strategic importance for a considerable group of nations or even the minerals considered relevant only by one country or area of the world.
By examining the lists of critical minerals drawn up by China, the European Union, and the United States, for example, we can see that these three players (among the largest globally) attribute great importance to resources such as lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel and rare earths, so much so that they are included in the respective lists of resources considered strategic for their economic and sustainable development. It is no coincidence that these minerals are at the top of the priorities of these players, given their primary role in manufacturing technologies for the diffusion of clean energy and their helpful contribution to achieving the objectives of climate neutrality and decarbonization. China, the European Union, and the United States also agreed on other resources, in particular, tungsten, graphite, bauxite, and antimony, all of which appear on the strategic lists drawn up by these nations (and updated every few years depending on market dynamics).
An even more attentive observer, faced with these lists, would also be able to identify some particular minerals included only in the lists of a nation, a series of resources that, therefore, represent specific cases and are worthy of a more in-depth analysis. Iron ore, for example, appears only in the list of strategic minerals drawn up by China. This resource has been used for centuries to create other metal products and can be used in raw form or following a melting process. Its most common industrial applications are those linked to the manufacture of steel or iron products, such as pipes or tools, without forgetting all the possible uses related to the automotive and aerospace industries, particularly from the point of view of components. The largest iron ore producers are Brazil, Australia, and the United States.
The role of zinc
A mineral resource that appears only on the United States list is zinc, the refined form of which is still imported from Washington in massive quantities (about 76% of the total). The main zinc mining sites are in Peru, Australia, and China. One of the main functions of zinc is to galvanize other metals, particularly iron, to avoid rust formation. The steel resulting from zinc processing is widely used for manufacturing car bodies, streetlamps and safety barriers, and for producing specific components linked to the automotive industry.
Another interesting resource is coking coal, which only appears on the European Union’s list of critical minerals. It is a sedimentary rock found within the earth’s crust and can have different degrees of quality (hard, semi-hard, and semi-soft). Generally speaking, this resource is mainly used in steel production, which is also why it is considered one of the most important construction materials globally. In this case, Australia is one of the largest producers in the world, together with Canada and the United States.
