Mineral commodities
Minerals you can trace from mine to export, independently tested and checked as conflict-free.
We cover tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold, cobalt, copper, and lithium. Registered mine sites, independent lab test results, responsible-sourcing records, and a full trail from the mine to the port are all kept in one place.
Minerals we cover
The minerals trading on the platform today.
- Tin (Sn)
- Concentrate from Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, and Burundi. Graded by tin (Sn) content — usually 70% or more for export grade. Priced against the LME benchmark, adjusted for origin.
- Tantalum (Ta)
- Coltan and processed tantalite from DRC, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. Graded by tantalum (Ta₂O₅) content, with Metal Bulletin reference pricing.
- Tungsten (W)
- Wolframite concentrate from Rwanda and DRC. Graded by tungsten (WO₃) content, priced against Metal Bulletin.
- Gold (Au)
- From artisanal and small-scale mines in DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Doré bars and semi-refined gold. Priced against LBMA and Kitco, with Fairmined and LBMA Responsible Gold certification tracked.
- Cobalt (Co)
- From artisanal and industrial operations in DRC. Priced against the LME, with close attention to responsible sourcing and child-labour checks.
- Copper (Cu)
- Concentrate and cathode from DRC and Zambia. Priced against the LME.
- Lithium (Li)
- New production from DRC, Zimbabwe, and Mali, from both hard rock (spodumene) and brine.
The list grows as we bring on more trusted mine sites and suppliers in our active markets.
Compliance built in
The paperwork you need, built into every deal.
Trading minerals from Central and East Africa comes with rules that farm trade doesn't. We build the required paperwork right into the deal, so it's ready when you need it.
- OECD Due Diligence Guidance
- Every mine site and supplier is checked against the OECD's five-step responsible-sourcing framework. The assessments, risk ratings, and any improvement plans are kept on the platform for buyers to see.
- EU Conflict Minerals Regulation (2017/821)
- For tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold going into the EU, this rule requires you to check your supply chain. We keep the full trail — which mine it came from, how it changed hands, and independent audits — in the format EU importers need.
- US Dodd-Frank Section 1502
- US-listed companies buying tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold from the region must report on conflict minerals. Our mine-site and custody records give you what you need to trace origin and complete those checks.
- ITSCI and RMI/RMAP
- For mines and supply chains in the ITSCI tagging programme or the Responsible Minerals Initiative, the tag numbers, audit records, and tracing data all feed into our trail of custody.
Trail from mine to port
Every handover from mine to export, recorded and locked.
Each batch of minerals carries a full trail — every step recorded, from the mine right through to export clearance. Each step notes who handed it over and who received it, the GPS location, the weight, the tag and seal numbers, and photos.
Once recorded, a step can't be changed. The trail is visible to both sides of the trade, to the government mining authority, and to later buyers who need to trace the minerals for their own rules.
A typical trail
tagged at mine site → transported to processing facility → received and weighed → processed (washed, separated, concentrated) → transported to export point → received and sealed → export clearance granted → shipped
Testing and quality
Independent lab test results you can check.
Quality is set for each element — tin content, tantalum content, moisture, iron, radioactivity — with clear targets, acceptable ranges, the point at which a load is rejected, and the penalties in between.
Test results come from accredited labs and are recorded with the lab's name, its accreditation, the sample reference, and the findings for each element against the contract. The certificates are stored permanently alongside the custody trail.
For radioactive minerals, radiation test results are included as standard and checked against the limits of the destination country.
Registered mine sites
Verified mine profiles — licences, workforce, and environmental permits.
Every mine supplying through the platform is registered with its official mine code, its area, its licence and how long it's valid, the type of mining (artisanal, small-scale, or industrial), an estimate of its workforce, and its environmental permit status.
We track conflict-free certification — which scheme (ITSCI, RMI, LBMA, Fairmined, Kimberley Process), when the certificate expires, and the audit history. Mines without current certification are flagged, and buyers can filter the directory by conflict-free status.
Pricing
Priced against global benchmarks, adjusted for origin.
Contracts are priced against published benchmarks — LME for base metals, LBMA for precious metals, Metal Bulletin for minor metals. The final price is the benchmark, plus or minus an adjustment for the grade, shipping cost, and country risk of that origin.
You can agree a fixed price or a floating one. For floating prices, the contract sets out exactly when the price is fixed — on the settlement date, as a weekly average around shipping, or when the buyer calls it.