mineral · input
Platinum, palladium, and rhodium used as catalysts in vehicle exhaust systems; South Africa controls 92% of platinum and 80% of rhodium; Russia and South Africa together supply 80% of palladium
5
Source countries
5
Companies
2
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
2 essential American goods rely on platinum group metals (pgms) — catalytic converters somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| ZASouth Africa | 72% |
| RURussia | 14% |
| ZWZimbabwe | 7% |
| CACanada | 4% |
| USUnited States | 4% |
Who makes it
5 companies produce platinum group metals (pgms) — catalytic converters.
World's largest producer of palladium (~40% of global supply) and a major nickel and platinum producer; Russia-Ukraine war (2022) created palladium supply fears that spiked prices; major automotive catalytic converter raw material chokepoint
World's largest platinum producer; South Africa controls 92% of global platinum and ~80% of rhodium production; Anglo Platinum (Amplats) is the dominant Bushveld Complex producer supplying automotive catalytic converter manufacturers
Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Johannesburg South Africa; JSE: IMP; ~R80B revenue) is the world's second-largest primary platinum and palladium producer after Anglo American Platinum. Impala's Rustenburg operations (South Africa) produce platinum, palladium, and rhodium from the Bushveld Igneous Complex. Impala also holds 87.1% of Zimplats (Zimbabwe Platinum Mines) — providing Zimbabwe's Great Dyke PGM exposure. Impala acquired North American Palladium (Lac des Iles Mine Ontario Canada) in 2019 and acquired Royal Bafokeng Platinum in 2023. Impala's Johannesburg Rustenburg Lease Area is one of the world's richest platinum-bearing ore bodies. Impala sells PGMs primarily to European and Asian automotive catalytic converter manufacturers (Johnson Matthey, BASF, Umicore).
South African mining group; only operator of US PGM mines (Stillwater and East Boulder, Montana); ~15% of SA PGM output; operates Columbus Metallurgical Complex (Montana) for US primary + recycled autocatalyst processing; filed AD/CVD petition against Russian palladium July 2025.
European integrated copper group (SDAX: NDA, HQ Hamburg, Germany); world's largest copper recycler and one of Europe's largest copper smelters. After the September 2024 sale of its Buffalo, NY flat-rolled products site to Wieland, Aurubis exited the U.S. connector-strip market to concentrate on primary copper production, recycling, and multimetal recovery. Aurubis Hamburg remains a world-scale refinery (1M+ MT/year cathode output) and continues to supply copper cathode feedstock to strip rollers including Wieland's European facilities. Aurubis Pirdop (Bulgaria) is its primary copper smelter. The company also operates secondary smelters in Belgium (Lünen) and the UK (Swansea). Prior to divestiture, Aurubis Buffalo produced copper and copper alloy strip for electronic connectors, heat exchangers, architectural products, and electrical goods.
