Post by
GaiusOctavius on Apr 15, 2014 11:26am
Buffett, Terrorists & China Control This Metal
Tungsten is one of the few metals where demand is expected to outpace supply in the coming years, and there is a potential treasure trove of profits to be made by miners of the metal. The massive profit potential, unfortunately, has even attracted organized crime to get involved with tungsten mining. The day after Christmas, Bloomberg reported that Colombia's government was preparing to seize a tungsten mine run by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). According to Bloomberg, "tungsten mined for the profit of FARC makes its way into the supply lines of the makers of BMWs, Ferraris, Porsches and Volkswagens, computers and BIC pens." Bloomberg continued "Apple Inc. and Samsung (005930) Inc. have also bought material from that tainted supply line. The parts are used for iPhones, iPads, iPods and Galaxy mobile devices." What does that say about the tungsten industry when a criminal enterprise is illegally mining the metal and somehow getting the ill-gotten commodity into consumer products? Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Connection Warren Buffett is not a big commodity investor. He seeks revenue growth. In respect to gold, for example, Buffett sarcastically stated, "Gold gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head." Interestingly, it appears he feels quite differently about tungsten, a metal with enough practical demand to allow Mr. Buffett to see its investment worthiness. As recently as 2012, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, through its IMC International Metalworking unit, agreed to invest $80 million in one of the world's largest tungsten mines, located in South Korea. In respect to Berkshire Hathaway's investment, Forbes contributor Eric Savitz wrote, "While the deal may come as a surprise to the outside world, those with knowledge of tungsten understand that it's a crucial but disappearing resource that continues to affect all of us." https://www.pinnacledigest.com/articles/buffett-terrorists-china-control-metal