Two revolutions are taking place in Asia simultaneously: clean tech and AI, and both are creating a double-barreled scramble. One is generating a demand for critical minerals at a level hitherto unknown, while the other is fueling energy demand more broadly. Together, these two ongoing transformations are forming the backbone of both a green transition and digital expansion, which is driving a surging demand for copper, nickel, cobalt, LNG, and, of course, technical know-how. Governments continue to hunt high and low to secure their supply chains, while traditional mining companies chase new deposits. New stabilizers, however, are emerging on the scene, the potential of which, to date, has been overlooked. These are the trading and logistics houses quietly keeping the region’s factories, data centers, and power grids adequately supplied.
The Industrial Surge Meets Supply-Chain Friction
Asia’s industrial shift is placing unprecedented strain on global supply chains. The reasons for this can be seen in almost every industrialized economy in the region, including South Korea’s vast EV-battery corridors, India’s data center build-out, and Singapore’s hydrogen a
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