Germany

In 2024, Germany produced a diverse range of mineral commodities and was the 2d-ranked in world production of iron oxide pigments (not including United States production); 4th in production of salt; 5th in production of potash; 7th in production of pig iron and raw steel (tied with Turkey); 8th in production of lime, peat, refined copper, sand and gravel (industrial), and silicon metal; 10th in production of diatomite (tied with Russia and Spain) and gypsum; 11th in production of fluorspar and selenium; 13th in production of nitrogen (N content of ammonia); 16th in production of cadmium; and 17th in production of alumina and graphite. Other mineral commodities produced included aluminum, barite, boron, cement, clays, copper, ferroalloys, gold, direct reduced iron, lead, magnesium, palladium, phosphate rock, platinum, construction sand and gravel, silver, soda ash, stone, uranium, and zinc. The Government promoted development and owned interests in a number of major mineral-commodity-producing companies. 

In 2024, Germany’s real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased by 0.5% owing to increased competition for German export industry in primary sales markets, a high rise in energy prices, and uncertainty in the economic outlook. In 2022 (the latest year for which data were available), the mining and quarrying sector contributed 0.26% of the national total or equivalent to Germany’s gross value added (GVA). Output and GVA in the manufacturing sector decreased by 0.3% owing to decrease in manufacturing production of chemicals, machinery and equipment, and metalworking owing to high energy costs. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Germany is provided by the Federal Mining Act (BGBl. IS. 1310), which was approved on August 13, 1980, and revised on December 9, 2006, through a slight revision to provisions of Article 11 (BGBl. IS. 2833) and amended in 2021. Since the closure of the last metal mines in 1992, there has been no production of metallic mineral ores in Germany, except low-grade iron ore aggregates and minor amounts of bauxite in 2024. Many of the leading companies in global metal-processing sector, however, continued to own and operate facilities in Germany. In 2024, to ensure diversification and long-term security of raw material supply, the German Government established Raw Material Funds, where KfW Development Bank (one of the world’s leading promotional banks) was the point of contact for funding raw material supply projects.