Chromium in the ground is geological power. Chromium in a specified ferroalloy, stainless steel or industrial product is industrial power.
The difference is not semantic. It is the difference between a deposit and the energy, reduction, metallurgy, finance, standards and customers required to convert it.
Countries with geological endowment still face a commercial decision about the point at which raw material leaves their jurisdiction. Export does not remove the industrial opportunity; it defines where the next stage occurs.
An industrial strategy identifies which conversion stages are commercially viable at source, which require regional integration and which remain linked to global manufacturing partners.
The aim is not to claim that every stage belongs in one jurisdiction. The aim is to retain the information, capability and commercial choice needed to participate in the stages that create value.
References
Source panel
- [2] African Union — Africa Mining Vision
African mineral development, industrial and trade policy, local linkages, value addition and knowledge-based services.
- [4] U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries
Annual commodity information, mineral statistics, industry structure and government-programme context.
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