China Critical Minerals Monopoly

• Rare Earths and Battery Minerals:
  • Controls 90% of global rare earths processing.
  • Dominates over 50% of the processing capacity for cobalt, nickel, and lithium used in EV batteries.
  • Produces 80% of rare earths globally (down from 95% in the past 15 years).
• Gallium and Graphite:
  • Produces 98% of global raw gallium supply (USGS, 2022).
  • Accounts for 70% of global graphite production and 100% of graphite processing.
• Cobalt and Lithium:
  • Processes 74% of global cobalt.
  • Refines 58% of global lithium.
• Silicon Processing:
  • Dominates 68% of global silicon processing.
• Mineral Resources:
  • China has discovered 173 types of minerals, including:
    • 13 energy minerals
    • 59 metallic minerals
    • 95 non-metallic minerals

Summary

China’s dominance is driven not by geological advantage but by strategic investments and competitive pricing, making it the global leader in mineral production and processing.

Reference: The Hindu, USGS, Diplomat