Data sources and data collection

The development of this platform leveraged the following data sources:

Global trade data: Based on UN Comtrade Database, including Harmonized System (HS) code, commodity description, trade partners, trade value, and trade flow information. Data for all available countries between 2017 and 2022 was downloaded as of [insert download date] through UN Comtrade Bulk download service.

Reserves and Production data: Based on United States Geological Survey (USGS) annual reports, British Geological Survey (BGS) World Mining Statistics Dataset, World Mining Congress (WMC) World Mining Data Report, OECD.Stat Mineral and Energy Resource Accounts. Latest available data as of May 2024 was collected.

Industry reports from established organizations were used to guide the identification of critical raw materials and their relevance to energy technologies. These include the International Energy Agency, the United States Department of Energy, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Data analysis

Classification of HS and Comtrade data: The list of over 5300 commodities included in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems (HS system) was reviewed and the relevant HS codes were classified based on their relevance to different critical raw materials and energy technologies. Under the HS system, each product is associated with a 6-digit code, which is structured in chapters (2 first digits), headings (4 first digits), and sub-headings (6 first digits). Additionally, these HS codes were provided a simplified name summarizing the official HS description, which is displayed across visualizations and analysis. Each HS code was assigned to four high-level categories based on their application within energy technology supply chains, referred to as “stages”:

• Upstream: Raw materials and ores in their primary forms when extracted.
• Midstream: Processed raw materials to their pure form or specific chemical compounds (e.g. oxides, phosphates, chlorides) that have direct applications in industry. For example, when considering battery cathode manufacturing, metal oxides used as cathode materials are classified as Midstream.
• Downstream: Manufactured products or components of products from processed materials. From the previous example, the Downstream category would include manufactured cathodes as well as battery cells and fully assembled batteries.
• Waste and recycling.

Stages for HS codes associated with critical raw materials range from raw materials to waste / recycling, while stages for HS codes associated with energy technologies range from processed materials to waste / recycling.

Classification of energy technology components: HS codes relevant to the energy technologies presented in the Critical Materials Monitor are classified into a non-exhaustive list of “component” categories for illustrative purposes. Each of these component categories is also associated with different critical raw materials.

Aggregation of trade flows across critical raw material stages: Trade flows are reported by UN Comtrade Database on an individual-HS code basis, and represented as such through the Critical Materials Monitor. However, in the case of critical raw materials, aggregated trade flow figures at a “stage” level are presented, as these are not associated with any single end use in the energy sector but rather provide a snapshot of the value chain of the given material.

Presentation of bilateral trade flows: Bilateral trade flows for individual HS commodities are presented in the Trade section of the Critical Materials Monitor based on UN Comtrade Database data. When there is a discrepancy between the flow value reported between two trading partners, priority is given to the partner reporting the flow as an import value.

Assumptions and limitations

Inconsistency of bilateral UN Comtrade Database trade data: In UN Comtrade, imports are recorded CIF (cost insurance and freight) while exports are FOB (free on board). For this reason, import values reported tend to be higher than export values, creating discrepancies in reporting between trading partners. Other differences might relate to time lags between exports and imports, goods being classified differently at export and import, goods going via third countries, etc. In case of inconsistencies, import data is considered in this analysis as it is usually closer to the international recommendation on partner attribution (Country of Origin) than export data (Country of Final Destination) because (1) the Final destination may not be known at the time of export, and (2) Country of Origin is more closely verified due to tariff regulations.

Poor match of HS code categories with emerging energy technologies: The latest review of the HS commodity classification system, completed in 2017, provides a poor match for many of the emerging energy technologies.

Limited data available on mineral reserves and production: Public data on critical raw materials production and reserves at country level is fragmented and incomplete at best, and inexistent for many countries or materials. The Critical Materials Monitor also presents these industry data gaps to support transparency and accountability.

End-use attribution and aggregation limitations: Trade flows are reported by UN Comtrade Database on an individual-HS code basis, and represented as such through the Critical Materials Monitor rather than aggregated. This is done to avoid attributability concerns, as the limitations in the HS code system do not allow to attribute the complete trade volume associated with an specific energy technology to the limited set of HS codes identified here, given the inconsistent classification of goods and technology components. Similarly, as most of the commodities presented have applications outside energy technologies, the trade volume associated with a specific HS code cannot be fully attributed to the associated critical raw material or energy technology in most cases.