Minerals Braced For Bumpy 2012

This article takes a look at the prospects for industrial minerals through this year. The only lesson to remember in 2012 is that it is going to be another volatile ride for industrial minerals prices, dragged down by the EU debt crisis and worries over China's property bubble, but it is not without its bright spots. This time last year it seemed like the industrials minerals market was steadily recovering from the 2008 financial crisis and was hitting an up-cycle. However, the Arab Spring (including the war in Libya), the Japanese earthquake and the EU debt crisis put and end to that. And continuing protests in Russia, Syria, Kazakhstan and Nigeria (among other countries) are adding to geopolitical risk.