Trade in Critical Minerals

ADB WTO

Introduction

The "Trade in Critical Minerals Database" (TiCM database) provides a comprehensive transparency and analytical tool for critical minerals focusing on their trade patterns and related policies.

The TiCM database covers a non-exhaustive group of critical minerals and related products that are relevant for the clean energy transition. Information is included for 250 critical mineral-related products based on the Harmonized System (HS) 2022 classification at the subheading level (6 digit).

The products are further categorized according to their stage in the supply chain:

  • Raw and semi-processed materials (approx. 85 HS codes, pertaining to section V – Minerals products (starting with 25-26-27) and from section VI - products of the chemical or allied industries (starting with 27 or 28): Primary, unprocessed, or minimally processed minerals that are extracted directly from natural sources. Examples include: Lithium ores, cobalt concentrates, and other base minerals that are essential for various industrial applications.
  • Intermediates goods (approx. 157 HS codes, pertaining to section XIV, including precious metals (starting with 71) and section XV base metals and articles of base metal (starting with 72 74 75 76 79 80 81)): Partially processed minerals that have undergone some form of refining or treating to improve their usability in manufacturing. Examples include processed REE, lithium compounds and refined cobalt.
  • Finished goods (approx. 34 HS codes section XVI machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment; parts thereof (starting with 84 or 85): Finished products that incorporate critical minerals, such as batteries, magnets, and electronic components that are critical to green technologies such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.

Trade and tariff data

The TiCM database tracks the value of bilateral export and import flows of 250 critical mineral-related products at the HS2022 6-digit level between 2010 and 2023.

The tariff section provides reporters' most favoured nation (MFN) applied tariff rates as well as their preferential tariff rates for partners where applicable.

The trade and tariff data are aggregated from official information on applied tariffs and import data reported by WTO Members to the WTO Integrated Database (IDB). This information is complemented by additional data from the WTO Analytical Database (ADB), which consolidates information from multiple sources in collaboration with other agencies, including the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade), and Trade Data Monitor (TDM).

Policy database

The policy database covers trade measures, and is searchable by product, economy, source, type of measure and year. The trade measures are sourced from the WTO, namely the Trade Monitoring Database and the ePing SPS & TBT platform.

Additional policies may be included as part of the further development of the database.

Trade measures

The WTO Trade Monitoring Database (TMDB) serves as a source for trade measures that facilitate or restrict trade in critical mineral-related products. The types of measures included are measures that affect imports, i.e. tariffs, taxes, customs procedures, quantitative restrictions and other import measures, and measures that affect exports, i.e. duties, quantitative restrictions and other export measures.

The TMDB provides information on trade measures implemented by WTO members, collected as part of the WTO's Trade Monitoring Exercise, which provides regular and up-to-date information on global trends in trade measures and trade policy making. The data collection occurs through the submission of new measures by Members to the Secretariat as well as through information gathered by the Secretariat which is submitted for verification by Members.

The ePing SPS & TBT Platform serves as a source for technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures which were notified by Members to the WTO.

Under the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement, WTO Members have the obligation to notify draft measures on industrial product requirements (technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures). This obligation covers all measures that may have a significant effect on trade of other Members and are not based on relevant international standards.

It should be noted that the year provided in the TiCM database for technical regulations and conformation assessment procedures refers to the date of the notification of the draft TBT measure to the WTO, and not when the measure entered into force.

Visualizations

The TiCM database provides a set of network visualizations displaying critical minerals ecosystem for each product, from 2010 to 2023 allowing visualisation of evolution of trade patterns and major trading routes.

Three types of visualizations are provided: Bar charts, tree maps and network graphs.

Bar charts provide for a reporting country, the top import and export markets for critical mineral related products, including information on whether trade with these markets mainly concerns raw materials, intermediates or final products.

Tree maps provide a breakdown of a country's imports and exports of critical mineral related products, informing on the specialization of a country within these products as captured by import and export shares.

Network graphs inform on trade networks in critical mineral related products, allowing for the illustration of interdependencies among countries and the identification of major trading nations as well as shifts in the geographic distribution of trade routes over time. More detail on the methodology use for network visualizations and their interpretation is available in this technical note.