Corruption in Mineral Value Addition: Why It Matters

Key messages

• Value addition can make mineral supply chains fairer and more reliable—if decisions are made with integrity.

• Corruption in mineral value addition is occurring across a wide range of countries, minerals and technologies, yet anticorruption is missing from many current initiatives. In some contexts, it is being actively weakened.

• Politicians and companies in many countries are promoting value-addition projects that are unlikely to happen or to be economically viable. These claims deserve scrutiny.

• Corruption in value addition undermines fairness by funneling wealth and opportunities to a privileged few, while harming vulnerable communities.

• Corruption can also make mineral supply chains less reliable, delaying projects, discouraging investment and cutting output. 

• Governments, companies, investors and international initiatives can take concrete steps to mitigate corruption risks in mineral value addition.

This briefing explores how corruption can undermine efforts to promote mineral value addition, a growing priority for mineral-producing countries amid the energy transition and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Using real-world examples across regions, minerals and processing stages, it examines how corruption distorts policy choices, project selection and implementation, with consequences for fairness, public revenues, investment and supply-chain reliability. The briefing concludes with practical recommendations for governments, companies, investors and multilateral organizations.