how do companies get raw materials 
companies are often very strategic in how they obtain raw materials for many it makes most financial sense to work closely with a reliable third party that collects and distributes the raw materials in other cases it may be more efficient for companies to establish production facilities that directly collect the raw materials the former path incurs ongoing operating expenses while the latter path results in arguably less operating costs but greater upfront capital investment the bottom lineraw materials are the inputs used in the production process to create finished products that are ready to sell to consumers this makes raw materials a vital piece of the global economy and international trade having natural resources that can serve as raw materials can boost exports and help a country grow its gdp businesses and investors can engage in raw trading markets through commodities markets 