OECD Report Highlights Growth but Fragmentation in Critical-Mineral Traceability Adoption
A new OECD report highlights that while traceability systems are increasingly being adopted across critical-mineral supply chains, their implementation remains fragmented and inconsistent. The study focuses on lithium supply chains in Argentina and Chile and nickel supply chains in Indonesia and the Philippines. It draws from a survey of 90 companies along these value chains and includes stakeholder interviews and site visits. The report emphasizes that reliable data is essential for strengthening the resilience of critical-mineral supply chains, particularly as demand rises due to global energy transitions. Companies are using tools like mapping, mass balance systems, and audits; however, most efforts remain internal with limited public disclosure. Traders show higher adoption rates compared to miners. Challenges include cost, interoperability issues, confidentiality concerns, supplier leverage, and data quality. Regulatory consistency is seen as a top priority for scaling traceability by half of the respondents, alongside shared data infrastructure.
Topics: lithium mineral supply chains nickel OECD report traceability