【World Express】The Soaring Price of Gallium Has Triggered a Global Layout Adjustment

      As the rare metals market continues to heat up, prices of key resources such as gallium and tungsten have risen sharply, drawing intense attention from the global industry. As an important strategic mineral resource, gallium is widely used in high-end manufacturing fields such as semiconductors and light-emitting diodes (LED), and its supply situation is gradually becoming a core issue for the security of the industrial chain.

      According to the latest market data, the price of tungsten has risen by about 45 percent this year, and the price of gallium has also risen by 44 percent, both hitting new highs in nearly 14 years. This change reflects the growing importance of rare metals in the global high-tech manufacturing and energy transition process.

      Gallium is mainly present in associated forms in bauxite, lead-zinc, coal and iron mines. Although there are more than 1 million tons of gallium in the world's bauxite resources, and there are also large amounts in resources such as zinc, the proportion of gallium that can be economically exploited is still less than 10 percent at present. As a result, there is an increasing demand for a stable and diversified supply source.

      At present, global gallium resources are mainly distributed in countries such as China, Canada, Germany, France, Kazakhstan, Australia, Russia, among which China has long been the world's leading producer and exporter of gallium and has played a key supporting role in the stability of the global industrial chain.

      Meanwhile, some countries and enterprises are accelerating the development of local resources and international cooperation, and actively building a more resilient supply system. Japan Oil, Gas & Metals National Corp (JOGMEC), in collaboration with Sojitz Corporation and Alcoa, is setting up a joint venture in Australia to start commercial production of gallium in 2026, with plans to achieve an annual output of more than 55 tons by 2028. The relevant products will be exported to Japan to meet the demands of its domestic industrial development.

      At present, the global rare metals industry chain is in a reshaping phase, with a significant increase in market attention to sustainable supply, green mining and technological innovation. Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the global technology industry, the strategic value of key resources such as gallium will continue to rise, and it also provides broader cooperation space and development opportunities for related global enterprises.