Raw Materials

The Federal Government considers raw materials to be eligible for cover in principle if there is an overall economic interest in the offtake of the produced raw material (or of a specific quality) by a German offtaker.
 

The following two aspects are relevant when evaluating the significance of a raw material:
 

Supply shortages of the raw material

• Supply to Germany is highly dependent on imports
• Price and supplier risks are prevailing and/or may arise in future
• Existing market structures impede the raw material supply to German offtakers
• Political interference/and or political measure impede the conclusion of offtake agreements (export restrictions, prohibitive export duties etc.)

Use of raw materials in German industries

• High importance with regard to the labour market of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Contribute to a sustainable macroeconomic and/or regional development
• Strategic importance for the macroeconomic development (e.g. future technologies)
   

The aforementioned factors give an overview of the criteria, but they do not replace or predetermine the single-case decision of the Interministerial Committee, on a project’s eligibility for cover in principle. 

In the past five years projects relating to the following raw materials were assessed as eligible for cover in principle:

Metals / Metalloids

• Graphite
• Copper
• Lithium
• Magnesium
• (Ferro-)Niobium
• Platinum group metals
• Rare earths
• Tungsten
   

Energy commodities

• Natural gas
• Liquid gas (LNG)

Since there are often no facilities for unprocessed raw materials (e.g. ore, concentrates) in Germany, further processed raw materials and intermediate products have been accepted as eligible for cover on a case by case-basis. Furthermore, the import of secondary raw materials (raw materials gained by recycling) has also been considered as in principle eligible for cover on a single-case basis.
 

Concerning the eligibility for cover, the following competence centres for raw materials provide further information about non-listed raw materials:
 

• German Mineral Resources Agency (in German: Deutsche Rohstoffagentur, DERA)
  Assessment of the concentration of supply as well as the potential supply risks of mineral resources (study: “DERA-Rohstoffliste”)
• „Critical Raw Materials for the EU“ (study by the EU Commission):
  Evaluation of the supply situation for the countries within the European Union and      assessment of the raw materials’ criticality based on its economic importance

Since the criteria used as basis for these lists of raw materials may deviate from those used by the Federal Government, the mandatary should be contacted and an enquiry should be filed in order to receive a reliable indication on the eligibility for cover.

The German Federal Government takes into account the current national energy policy in relation to energy commodities. With regard to crude oil, the Federal Government generally assumes that there is an efficient world market and that crude oil regularly does not comply with the required criteria to be eligible for cover in principle. Other fossil energy sources with minor importance to the energy supply for Germany (such as LNG) have as of yet not been deemed as eligible for cover in principle.