The hidden hand

The Chinese recycler that owns Europe's fiber optics

When a French metals company collapsed, a Chinese buyer quietly acquired Germany's oldest germanium tetrachloride production facility.

The number

65years of continuous GeCl4 production

Vital Materials' 2020 acquisition of PPM Pure Metals transferred control of a critical dopant for optical fiber—used in every undersea cable and telecom network—from European to Chinese hands. The deal also gave China influence over specialized container technology that has no substitute.

Source: Beiten Burkhardt advises Vital Materials Co., Ltd. on acquisition of Langelsheim industrial site · Advant Beiten · Dec 1, 2020

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Essential goods

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Fiber optic cables and networking →
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Raw inputs

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Germanium Tetrachloride (GeCl4) →
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Facilities

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Vital Pure Metal Solutions – Langelsheim Plant (Germany) →
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The Chinese recycler that owns Europe's fiber optics

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