Gallium
The semiconductor metal. Essential for 5G infrastructure, LEDs, and solar cells. With 80% of production controlled by China and 100% US import dependency, gallium represents a critical supply chain vulnerability— and an investment opportunity.
Price History ($/kg)
The Gallium Investment Thesis
Demand Drivers
- • 5G infrastructure rollout requiring GaAs chips
- • Electric vehicle adoption (power electronics)
- • LED lighting transition continues globally
- • Defense applications (radar, satellites)
- • Photovoltaic solar cell efficiency improvements
Supply Constraints
- • No primary gallium mines (byproduct only)
- • 80% of production from single country
- • China export restrictions (July 2023)
- • Limited recycling infrastructure
- • 3-5 year lag to develop new capacity
Why Physical Gallium?
Unlike gold, there's no liquid futures market for gallium. The only way to get direct exposure is to own the physical metal. This creates both challenges (storage, liquidity) and opportunities (less speculative trading, closer connection to industrial fundamentals).
When China announced export restrictions in July 2023, gallium prices spiked 27% in two weeks. Holders of physical metal were positioned. There was no ETF to buy, no futures to trade.
Applications
Global Supply Chain
Gallium is never mined directly. It's recovered as a byproduct of aluminum refining (bauxite processing) and zinc smelting. This means supply is inelastic—you can't just "open a gallium mine" when prices rise.
China's dominance isn't just about processing—it's about their control of the entire aluminum supply chain. Western reshoring efforts are underway, but building new capacity takes years.
Production by Country
How to Invest in Gallium
We source 99.99% pure gallium from verified refineries with full chain-of-custody documentation. Available in 1kg, 5kg, and 25kg+ lots.