Icecoolpix.com
Japan holds a unique position regarding the industrial minerals business. While the country hosts extensive reserves of only a few minerals, it is above all a giant consumer of imported raw materials, of which industrial minerals are high on the agenda.
Driving this import trade is Japan’s large and expanding mineral consuming industries such as cement, ceramics, chemicals, glass, hi-tech components, metals, paper, and steel.
As a result of this, a unique trading sector has evolved in Japan, the mighty soga sosha, or general trading houses, tasked with bringing home to Japan all the materials it needs through a vast network of overseas agencies.
The imperative demand for raw material security has meant that many of Japan’s trading houses have stakes in or actually own leading overseas mineral suppliers, eg. Mitsubishi Corp. - 100% Cape Flattery Silica Mines Ltd, Australia, 51% Hernic Ferrochrome, South Africa, 20% Solvay Soda...