Each year the US Department of Defense (DoD) produces its strategic and critical materials report on stockpile requirements. The most recent report studied 76 materials to evaluate whether they would exhibit «shortfalls – insufficient reliable production to meet demands» in a modeled «conflict scenario».
The DoD found shortfalls for 19 non-proprietary materials, with most arising in «meeting essential civilian sector demands». Beryllium metal was the single non-proprietary material for which there was a defense shortfall. Both the format and content of the 2013 report mark a radical and refreshing departure from historic precedent. It is, now, a much more useful document.
| Shortfall found for the following 19 Materials | |
|---|---|
| Aluminum Oxide Fused Crude | Manganese Metal-Electrolytic |
| Antimony | Scandium |
| Beryllium Metal | Silicon Carbide |
| Bismuth | Tantalum |
| Chromium Metal | Terbium |
| Dysprosium | Thulium |
| Erbium | Tin |
| Fluorspar Acid Grade | Tungsten |
| Gallium | Yttrium |
| Germanium | |
About the Author:
Thomas Butcher is an independent writer, researcher and consultant focusing on strategic materials, in particular metals. With 35 years of experience in the financial world, he has lectured and spoken at conferences around the world. Amongst other things, he currently writes a Letter from North America for the Minor Metals Trade Association's bi-monthly publication The Crucible, and is lead author of the chapter on gallium in the British Geological Survey's recently published Critical Metals Handbook.
The article above is an opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of MV Index Solutions or its affiliates.