Research onsupply risk assessment of china's energy metal from the perspective of material flow analysis

Tang Linbin; Chen Weiqiang

Abstract：China's energy metal supply has become increasingly critical due to its importance for supporting green and low-carbon technologies.This study aims to assess the risks associated with China's energy metal supply from the perspective of material flow analysis.The research focuses on six representative energy metals,namely lithium,cobalt,nickel,copper,rare earth elements,and platinum group elements.By examining the material flow patterns and China's role in the global supply chain,this study provides insights into the current status and potential risks of China's energy metal supply.The findings reveal that(1)China is a net importer of energy metals,with a growing dependence on external sources.(2)The external dependence of most energy metals in China has progressively increased with the types of products gradually extending downstream along the industrial chain.(3)The sources of China's energy metal raw materials demonstrate a relatively fixed but gradually concentrated trend.Emerging developing countries/regions such as Africa and ASEAN have become the primary overseas supply sources for China's energy metals.This research suggests that China's management of energy metal resource security should focus on both domestic and foreign aspects.This research contributes to the understanding of China's energy metal supply dynamics and provides a foundation for the development of effective risk management strategies.