Critical raw materials
Critical raw materials are the minerals and metals whose supply is concentrated, hard to substitute and essential to energy, defence and digital technology. Earthern tracks every material on the major criticality lists with live scoring, price context and supply-risk evidence.
All minerals in Earthern
On at least one criticality list
Earthern Strategic Score, 0–100
Score 94
What makes a raw material critical?
Supply concentration
A small number of countries control mining, processing or refining, so a single policy change can disrupt global flows.
Low substitutability
Few materials deliver the same performance, so demand cannot easily shift when supply tightens.
Economic importance
The material underpins high-value sectors — electrification, semiconductors, aerospace and defence.
Jurisdictional risk
Production sits in regions where governance, permitting or export controls raise the probability of interruption.
Critical raw materials by strategic score
| Material | Category | Strategic score | Price | Lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neodymium | Rare Earths | 94% | $68 / USD/kg NdPr oxide | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw MaterialJapan Strategic Material |
| Dysprosium | Rare Earths | 93% | $245 / USD/kg oxide | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Copper | Base Metals | 91% | $9,450 / USD/t | EU Strategic Raw MaterialUS Critical Mineral (2025 draft) |
| Terbium | Rare Earths | 90% | $780 / USD/kg oxide | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Gallium | Strategic & Critical Minerals | 89% | $420 / USD/kg | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Uranium | Nuclear & Energy Minerals | 88% | $82 / USD/lb U3O8 | US Critical MineralCanada Critical Mineral |
| Germanium | Strategic & Critical Minerals | 87% | $2,350 / USD/kg | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Praseodymium | Rare Earths | 86% | $66 / USD/kg NdPr oxide | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Antimony | Strategic & Critical Minerals | 85% | $38,500 / USD/t | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Lithium | Battery Minerals | 84% | $13,800 / USD/t LCE | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw MaterialCanada Critical Mineral |
| Tungsten | Strategic & Critical Minerals | 83% | $345 / USD/mtu APT | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Graphite | Battery Minerals | 82% | $680 / USD/t | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw MaterialCanada Critical Mineral |
| Silicon | Industrial Minerals | 80% | $2,100 / USD/t metallurgical | EU Critical Raw MaterialUS Critical Mineral (metallurgical) |
| Cobalt | Battery Minerals | 78% | $33,500 / USD/t | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Silver | Precious Metals | 76% | $31.4 / USD/oz | EU Strategic Raw Material |
| Platinum Group Metals | Precious Metals | 74% | $985 / USD/oz Pt | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Nickel | Battery Minerals | 72% | $15,900 / USD/t | US Critical MineralEU Critical Raw Material |
| Manganese | Battery Minerals | 66% | $4.6 / USD/dmtu | EU Critical Raw MaterialUS Critical Mineral (high-purity) |
| Potash | Industrial Minerals | 64% | $305 / USD/t | EU Critical Raw Material (2023 review) |
EU Critical Raw Material
15 materials Earthern tracks on the EU Critical Raw Material list.
Neodymium
High. Separation and magnet manufacture, not mining, are the constrained steps.
Dysprosium
Very high. Heavy rare earth supply is far more concentrated than light rare earths.
Terbium
Very high, with a very thin ex-China supply base.
Gallium
Very high. Production is a by-product with almost no price-elastic supply response.
Germanium
Very high. Small market, by-product supply and active export controls.
Praseodymium
High, and structurally linked to neodymium supply.
US Critical Mineral
14 materials Earthern tracks on the US Critical Mineral list.
Neodymium
High. Separation and magnet manufacture, not mining, are the constrained steps.
Dysprosium
Very high. Heavy rare earth supply is far more concentrated than light rare earths.
Terbium
Very high, with a very thin ex-China supply base.
Gallium
Very high. Production is a by-product with almost no price-elastic supply response.
Uranium
High. Primary mine supply has run below reactor requirements for years, with the gap filled by shrinking secondary inventories.
Germanium
Very high. Small market, by-product supply and active export controls.
Canada Critical Mineral
3 materials Earthern tracks on the Canada Critical Mineral list.
Uranium
High. Primary mine supply has run below reactor requirements for years, with the gap filled by shrinking secondary inventories.
Lithium
Moderate. Resources are abundant; the constraint is conversion capacity and the pace of project delivery, not geology.
Graphite
High. Anode-grade spherical purification is almost entirely located in one country.
EU Strategic Raw Material
2 materials Earthern tracks on the EU Strategic Raw Material list.
Copper
Moderate near-term, high after 2030. Grade decline at major porphyry mines and a thin pipeline of approved greenfield projects tighten the balance.
Silver
Moderate. Around 70% of supply is a by-product of other mining, limiting price responsiveness.
Japan Strategic Material
1 materials Earthern tracks on the Japan Strategic Material list.
US Critical Mineral (2025 draft)
1 materials Earthern tracks on the US Critical Mineral (2025 draft) list.
US Critical Mineral (metallurgical)
1 materials Earthern tracks on the US Critical Mineral (metallurgical) list.
US Critical Mineral (high-purity)
1 materials Earthern tracks on the US Critical Mineral (high-purity) list.
EU Critical Raw Material (2023 review)
1 materials Earthern tracks on the EU Critical Raw Material (2023 review) list.