Key strategic metals

Here are taken up some key metals of strategic value especially for the military-industrial purposes. The definition of such metals can be found in several sources.

The US House Committee defined those in the following way: “Strategic and critical metals/minerals are vital to our everyday lives. They are essential components of renewable energy, national defense equipment, medical devices, electronics, agricultural production and common household items.” Metals/minerals for military use are always both strategic and critical. Statistics cover latest information of producer countries and yearly production per a metal.

The statistics above may be quite revealing in the great power framework. The US is found only in one place (copper), while China and Russia in all selected statistics indicating an extensive possession of strategic natural resources.