René Muschter
Research Expert covering Industry & Mobility
Global strategic minerals - statistics & facts
Strategic minerals generally refer to mineral commodities that are important for economic, military, or technological development, but whose reserves are concentrated in a handful of countries. Although often used interchangeably with the term “critical minerals”, the definitions of each depend on the country listing them. In Germany, the Deutsche Rohstoffagentur (DERA, or the German Raw Materials Agency in English) has defined the minerals cobalt, lithium, tantalum, and tungsten as strategic raw materials because of their use in key sectors such as the automotive and consumer electronics industries. The U.S. Geological Survey classifies about 60 minerals as "critical minerals", including aluminum, copper, and nickel.
