What are “Gateway Metals” and why are they so important to U.S. technology?

2022.11.02

Dozens of metals and minerals used in high-tech applications have a special status in the natural resource world as by-products of base or industrial metals extraction. As economic analysts begin to acknowledge mining’s deep connection to manufacturing, a failure to recognize the arcane realm of by-product metals is muddying much of the discussion. Put simply, access to many tech-metals is not through primary mining projects, but rather through major metal mines that may or may not recover tech-metals as a by-product.

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