Metals

29 topics

Gold

MetalsPrecious Metals

Over 3,000 tonnes are mined yearly, with China, Australia, Russia, and Canada leading, and demand splits jewelry, investment bars ...

Silver

MetalsPrecious Metals

Mine supply runs near 25,000 tonnes a year, over half of it a byproduct of lead, zinc, copper, and gold mining, so supply answers ...

Platinum

MetalsPrecious Metals

About 180 tonnes a year come mostly from deep South African mines, costlier to run than any peer, with Russia and Zimbabwe roundin...

Palladium

MetalsPrecious Metals

Around 200 tonnes a year come from Norilsk in Russia and the South African Bushveld, so sanctions talk and mine disruptions domina...

Rhodium

MetalsPrecious Metals

Under 30 tonnes a year come to market, almost entirely as a byproduct of platinum and palladium mining, so no producer chases the ...

Copper

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Chile, Peru, China, and Congo lead mine supply of around 22 million tonnes a year, and refined cathode trades on the LME, whose wa...

Aluminum

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Around 70 million tonnes of primary metal are produced yearly, with China smelting near 60 percent and India, Russia, and the Gulf...

Iron Ore

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Around 1.4 billion tonnes trade seaborne yearly, with BHP, Rio Tinto, Vale, and Fortescue shipping the bulk from the Pilbara and C...

Zinc

MetalsIndustrial Metals

About 13 million tonnes of refined metal are produced yearly, China the top producer, with Peru, Australia, and India following. A...

Nickel

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Class one, over 99 percent pure and LME deliverable, and class two, ferronickel and nickel pig iron, split the market: stainless s...

Lithium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Supply comes from hard rock spodumene, Australia the leader, and continental brines in Chile and Argentina, with China refining mo...

Cobalt

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Around 200,000 tonnes a year come to market, over 70 percent from DR Congo as a byproduct of copper mining, with Indonesian mixed ...

Rare Earth Elements

MetalsIndustrial Metals

The family splits light and heavy, with neodymium and praseodymium powering permanent magnets, dysprosium and terbium added for he...

Tin

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Some 350,000 tonnes a year come from Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Peru, and Bolivia, with Indonesian independent smelters and the po...

Lead

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Refined output runs near 13 million tonnes a year with recycled material supplying more than half, since lead acid batteries come ...

Manganese

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Tens of millions of tonnes of ore ship yearly, South Africa dominant in volume, with Australia and Gabon supplying high grades, an...

Molybdenum

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Roughly 300,000 tonnes a year come to market, around 80 percent as a byproduct of copper mining in China, Chile, and North America...

Graphite

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Natural flake graphite is mined mostly in China, with Mozambique, Madagascar, and Brazil adding supply, while synthetic graphite i...

Silicon Metal

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Silicon metal smelts quartz with carbon in arc furnaces, China dominant by far, with Brazil, Norway, and the US producing the rest...

Steel

MetalsIndustrial Metals

World output runs near 1.9 billion tonnes, China half of it, and derivatives follow rebar and hot rolled coil on Chinese exchanges...

Iridium

MetalsPrecious Metals

Iridium is among the rarest elements in the crust and is produced only as a byproduct of platinum mining, mostly in South Africa, ...

Titanium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

The titanium minerals ilmenite and rutile are mined in countries including Australia, South Africa, Mozambique and China, but most...

Tungsten

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, and most of it is used as tungsten carbide in cutting tools, drill bits and w...

Vanadium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Most vanadium goes into steel, where small additions of ferrovanadium strengthen rebar and high strength alloys. Supply comes main...

Chromium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Chromite ore is smelted into ferrochrome, and the great majority of it goes into stainless steel, which needs at least about 10.5 ...

Magnesium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

China produces the large majority of primary magnesium, mainly through the energy intensive Pidgeon process in Shaanxi province, w...

Gallium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Gallium is recovered in small quantities as a byproduct of alumina refining and zinc processing, and China produces nearly all of ...

Germanium

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Germanium is recovered from zinc ore processing and from certain coal ashes, with China the leading producer. It is used in fiber ...

Antimony

MetalsIndustrial Metals

Antimony is mined mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite, with China the largest producer and refiner and countries including Taji...