Export Restrictions on Strategic Raw Materials and Their Impact on Trade and Global Supply

This chapter examines how export restrictions impact on trade and the global supply of selected strategic metals and minerals. The metals and minerals examined are of particular interest for a number of reasons: they are generally geographically concentrated in a few countries, many are used in the production of high-technology goods in strategic sectors, and there are few substitutes for these raw materials given the present state of technology. Case studies of export restrictions concerning three raw materials — molybdenum, chromite and rare earths — shed some light on the potential global effects of export restrictions on strategic raw materials.