About us
Fifteen years of market cycles, repositioned for the next one.
Our story
LYTREX was founded by Steffen Clausner, who has spent more than 15 years in international trade with a deep specialization in metal and rare metal markets. Over that time, he built a track record across multiple market cycles — through commodity booms, downturns, and the structural shifts now reshaping demand for the metals that power modern economies.
In 2026, LYTREX made a deliberate decision to relocate its operations from Germany to Hong Kong. Trading out of the EU had become increasingly difficult: layered regulation, slower settlement infrastructure, and a business environment that no longer matched the speed at which global metals markets move. Hong Kong offered a clear alternative — a jurisdiction built for cross-border trade, direct proximity to Asian supply chains and capital, and a regulatory framework that lets a trading house operate at the pace its counterparties expect.
The move wasn't just a change of address. It was a repositioning — placing LYTREX closer to where physical metal, industrial demand and global capital actually meet.
Today, LYTREX operates as a family-driven trading house. Rico Clausner is stepping into the business alongside his father, learning the mechanics of physical trading, counterparty relationships and market timing from the ground up — ensuring the firm's expertise carries forward rather than resets with each generation.
Why Hong Kong
Where physical metal, regulatory clarity and global capital converge in one time zone.
Proximity to demand
Asia is where the majority of global metal consumption — from battery manufacturing to industrial production — is concentrated. Being based here means shorter lines to the buyers and processors that matter.
Trade-friendly infrastructure
Hong Kong's regulatory and banking environment is built around the needs of cross-border trading firms, without the layered compliance burden that had made operating out of the EU increasingly slow and costly.
Capital access
As a global financial hub, Hong Kong gives LYTREX direct access to trade finance, hedging instruments and institutional capital — critical infrastructure for a firm trading across liquidity tiers as varied as ours.
Time zone advantage
Sitting between European and North American trading hours, Hong Kong lets us stay connected to global price discovery around the clock.
Leadership
Steffen Clausner
Founder & CEO
Over 15 years in international trade, with deep specialization in metal and rare metal markets. Steffen has built LYTREX's trading relationships and risk discipline from the ground up, and led the firm's 2026 relocation and relaunch in Hong Kong.
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Rico Clausner
Next Generation, Trading
Working alongside his father to learn the trade from the inside — sourcing, counterparty relationships and market timing. Rico represents the continuity of LYTREX's approach: long-term thinking applied across generations.
Connect on LinkedInHow we work
Direct sourcing
We work directly with producers, refiners and established counterparties — not layers of intermediaries — to keep pricing sharp and supply verified.
Principal buyer, not just broker
We take ownership of metal and hold it as stock, rather than only arranging trades between other parties. Capital committed, inventory managed, delivery backed by material we already hold.
Tiered risk approach
We treat high-liquidity, strategic and specialty metals differently, because they carry different risk, timing and counterparty considerations. That discipline is built into how we trade.
Long-term relationships over one-off deals
Our business is built on repeat counterparties who trust LYTREX to deliver consistently, cycle after cycle.
Forward positioning
We pay close attention to where structural demand is heading — particularly in strategic metals tied to electrification and the energy transition — rather than trading purely on short-term price moves.