16
This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications
Figure 7. Permissible Chinese export levels from 2008 to 2013
Sources: MOFCOM (2012), Metal Bulletin (2012), and Yi (2013)
Issuance of an export license by the MOFCOM requires applicants to meet certain requirements,
which in addition to compliance with local environmental regulations and minimum purity levels
require exporters to ensure that the recovery rate of indium in the main producing metal residue
is not less than 80% and that they have minimum registered capital of not less than 70 million
Yuan
14
(MOFCOM 2012). Export quotas vary by company and are re-examined every 6 months.
Table 6 contains a list of China’s main indium exporters over 2010 and 2011.
14
Enforcement of such regulations would prove difficult, particularly the minimum recovery requirement of 80%.
17
This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications
Table 6. China’s Indium Export Quotas, 2010 and 2011 (tonnes)
H1
2010
H2
2010
H1
2011
H2
2011
Total:
2010+2011
Share of
exports
Guang Xi Debang Technology Co.,
Ltd.
N/A
4.3
0.0
4.7
9.1
2%
Guangxi China Tin Group Co., Ltd.
15.3
N/A
6.4
13.8
35.5
8%
Guangxi Indium Technology Co., Ltd.
1.3
5.1
5.9
2.5
14.8
3%
Guangxi Tanghanxinyin Ltd.
0.5
0.4
0.5
1.2
2.6
1%
Huludao Nonferrous Metals (Group)
Import & Export Co., Ltd.
8.7
7.9
N/A
N/A
16.6
4%
Hunan Zhuzhou Smelter Torch Metals
Import and Export Ltd.
29.4
19.2
4.7
2.2
55.6
12%
Jiangsu Sainty International Group
Co., Ltd.
3.4
1.0
2.8
1.6
8.8
2%
Kunming hualian indium Industry Co.,
Ltd.
3.2
1.2
4.4
5.2
14.0
3%
Liuzhou China Tin Group Co., Ltd.
N/A
11.2
N/A
N/A
11.2
2%
Minmetals Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd.
N/A
1.8
18.8
9.0
29.6
6%
Nanjing Foreign Economic and Trade
Development Co., Ltd.
17.6
11.2
18.2
12.3
59.3
13%
Nanjing Germanium Technology Co.,
Ltd.
7.8
5.1
14.5
7.8
35.2
8%
Nanjing three Friends of the Electronic
Materials Co., Ltd.
4.3
3.7
4.2
2.2
14.5
3%
Shuikoushan Nonferrous Metal Co.,
Ltd.
1.2
1.4
0.6
0.5
3.7
1%
The Liuzhou Ingle metal Co., Ltd.
5.9
2.8
5.8
3.8
18.3
4%
The Xiangtan positive Tan Non-
Ferrous Metals Ltd.
6.7
4.8
7.5
6.1
25.1
5%
Western Qinghai indium Industry Co.,
Ltd.
2.7
0.5
2.6
3.0
8.7
2%
Xikuangshan antimony industry Llc..
1.1
0.7
1.2
0.6
3.7
1%
Yunnan Chengo Nonferrous Metals
Corporation Ltd.
2.0
1.7
2.2
1.3
7.3
2%
Zhuzhou Branch to New Materials
Co., Ltd.
14.2
5.3
24.5
15.1
59.2
13%
Other
14.6
3.6
15.0
0.0
33.3
7%
Total (6 months)
139.8
93.2 140.0
93.0
Total
233.0
233.0
466.0
100%
Note: Translation of company names from official documents was performed through Google Translate. As a result,
translations may not be precise.
Source: Department of Foreign Trade, China Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM 2012)
3.5 Processing of Indium-Bearing Ores and Recovery of Indium
As discussed later in this paper, improved recovery efficiency in processing is one of the main
channels through which the indium supply may be increased. Generally speaking, mineral
processing can be divided into four distinct phases: (1) comminution (crushing and grinding); (2)