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APPENDIX 4 TO
ANNEX B TO
D/ACDS (CONCEPTS) 108/5 DATED
OCT 91
STRATEGIC MINERALS
1. The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) defines as "strategic" those materials which are both critical to vital sectors of the economy and considered to be vulnerable to disruption in supply. The degree of vulnerability to supply disruption is clearly dependent upon such factors as level of dependence upon imports, the number and nature of supply sources and the proportion of supplies derived from each source. However, a specific mineral whose supplies are highly vulnerable to interruption would not be regarded as of
strategic importance unless it was also, in some way, critical to the UK economy.
2. The EC as a whole, and the UK more than some, is highly dependent upon external supplies for a range of metals and non-fuel minerals where indigenous resources are non-existent or insufficient. A list of the minerals of most importance to the UK with the extent of import dependence and main sources of supply is shown below. However, the DTI considers three minerals and related alloys to be most critical to UK industry
and most vulnerable to supply disruption. In each case the UK is 100% dependant upon imports although a limited amount of recycling occurs.
a.
Chromium. Chromium enters the UK in three main
forms: ferrochromium (and ferrosilicochromium) for iron and steel, chromite (chromium ore) for chemical and refractory purposes, and pure chromium metal. Ferrochromium (including charge chrome) is essential to the manufacture of corrosion-resistant (mainly stainless) steels. Chromite is processed to chromium chemicals used in paints, leather tanning, chromium plating and for the production of chromium metal used in high performance "superalloys" for jet engines and other gas turbines.
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B4-1 RESTRICTED
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