Industrial Minerals


Impact of mineral scarcities to increase substantially – PwC

07 December 2011

by Mark Watts

End users increasingly concerned about scarcity; growing demand the major cause

Keywords: PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC, critical minerals, minerals scarcity, rare earths, fluorspar, antimony, lithium

The impact of global mineral scarcities will increase substantially in the near future, according to a new survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

PwC interviewed senior executives from 69 leading companies on the perceived risks and effects of mineral scarcity in seven different industries.

In the chemical industry, 44% of companies said they were affected by minerals scarcity at present, but this figure rises to 78% in the outlook for the next five years.

Automotive (73%), energy (57%), high-tech (78%), and infrastructure (82%) industries also...