Germanium ores are rare and most germanium is produced as a by-product of zinc production and from coal fly ash.
China produces around 60% of the world's germanium, according to the European association Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA), with the rest coming from Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States.
Gallium is found in trace amounts in zinc ores and in bauxite, and gallium metal is produced when processing bauxite to make aluminium.
U.S. imports of gallium metal and gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers in 2022 were worth about $3 million and $200 million, respectively, according to USGS.
U.S.-based Indium Corporation also produces germanium, while Belgium's Umicore (UMI.BR) makes both germanium and gallium.
Persons:
Belgium's, Eikon, Dominique Patton, Mai Nguyen, Melanie Burton, Tom Hogue, Himani
Organizations:
Alliance, WHO, United States Geological Survey, Teck Resources, Shanghai Metal Exchange, Thomson
Locations:
China, Canada, Finland, Russia, United States, Europe, Japan, U.S, South Korea, Germany, Kazakhstan, Teck, North America, British Columbia, Beijing