Critical raw materials

Critical raw materials (CRM), also referred to as critical materials or critical minerals, are raw materials designated by governments as critical for their economies. As definitions vary from country to country there is no detailed consensus of what a critical mineral is. Recurrent in various definitions is that critical minerals are important for national economies and national security and that they have vulnerable supply chains. To a lesser extent some definitions mention the role of critical minerals in science, new technologies and energy transition. Critical raw materials usually include technology-critical elements, rare-earth elements, and/or strategic materials. Demand has risen and prices have dropped for some critical minerals, due to the demand driven by the expansion of renewable energy technologies.