Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Arthur Sullivan
00:32 Matthias Ruth | Founder Tradium
01:22 Matthias Ruth | Founder Tradium
01:50 Matthias Ruth | Founder Tradium

Script:

0´01
Behind this reinforced steel door, is a rare earths treasure trove. This bunker in suburban Frankfurt belongs to Tradium, a rare earths and precious metals trader which supplies a range of sectors across the globe.

0´15
Matthias Rüth is Tradium’s managing director. He founded the company in 1999 and since the late 2000s, has been focused on rare earths and developing extensive commercial contacts with China.

0´30
+++ SOT MATTHIAS RUTH +++
Gründer Tradium
“Aber grundsätzlich schätze ich das Geschäft mit China und den Chinesen sehr, weil ich eben deren Aktionismus schätze, deren Fleiß und immer neue Ideen oder für jede Idee auch umgekehrt offen. Und das ist schon sehr erfrischend, ja.”

“Fundamentally, I value doing business with China and the Chinese very much because I appreciate how they take action, their diligence, and their constant openness to new ideas, or vice versa. That's very refreshing.”

0´52
Tradium supplies a range of industries such as ceramics, magnets and electronics not just with rare earths, but also with other sought-after raw materials such as gallium and germanium - also now subject to export restrictions. 

1´07
While there is some hope that the restrictions are gradually easing as a result of trade negotiations, Matthias Rüth thinks the situation has shone a light on fundamental vulnerabilities.

1´18 +++ SOT MATTHIAS RUTH +++ 
"die Abhängigkeit von China ist halt sehr, sehr groß und dass man vielleicht auch, eben ruhiger schlafen zu können, sich das eine oder andere mal als Menge an Lager nimmt, eben eine Versorgungsknappheit oder einige der schwierigeren Phasen eben auch reibungslos überstehen kann."

“The dependence on China is very, very high, and now, however, I think everyone is becoming increasingly aware that perhaps, in order to sleep more soundly, they can stock up on supplies from time to time, and thus survive supply shortages or some of the more difficult phases smoothly.”

1´41
But what about the reports of China seeking increasingly sensitive data from companies, before granting them licences?

1´49 +++ SOT MATTHIAS RUTH +++ 

“Welches Anwendungsgebiet, welche Verbrauchsmengen, welche Verbrauchsmenge pro Produkt? Und all das sind natürlich Informationen, die auch jetzt nicht jeder Verbraucher gerne gibt. Aber klar, das muss man eben die Karten auf den Tisch legen. Aber wer gibt schon gerne seine Firmengeheimnisse, Preis?”

"How is it being used, in what quantity, how much quantity per product...and of course, all of this is information that not every consumer is willing to share. But of course, you have to lay your cards on the table. But who wants to reveal their company secrets?”

2´12
Although Matthias Rüth is relatively optimistic that things will improve, he says there's no getting away from the gravity of the situation facing companies like his and its customers.

2´25 ENDE