Borates have long been among the steadiest performers in the industrial minerals arena with demand traditionally growing at about half the global economic growth rate. Producers face many of the same challenges as other industrial minerals companies - escalating raw material, energy and freight costs, chief among them. But evolving technology and socioeconomic trends create opportunities that make the global outlook for borates exceptionally bright. Borates are so widespread throughout nature that it is impossible to find an ecosystem or living system that does not contain trace amounts. However, the conditions that create economically viable deposits are few and far between; specifically, the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States, the South American Andes and south-central Asia, including Turkey. Resource estimates show that nearly three quarters of exploitable borates reserves are located in Turkey and nearly one quarter are located in North America, with the just over five percent in South America, Russia and China.
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