RE:RE:RE:RE:The Big PictureThe Ag I will try to put things in perspective for you. Total world demand of germanium is a whole 140 metric tons. For Zinc that number is over 12 million metric tons. Yes the grade at Cantex is high but there is little world demand and it can be found everywhere and anywhere.
The reason the price is so high is about 10 smelters control the world markets for most industrial metals and only a few can remove the germanium to well over 99% which is what is required. It is expensive to do so alot of miners do not bother. Yes you get a high price for it but that is because the processing costs are astronomical and the demand is low.
Alot of miners have germanium but it is not worth there while to process it.