Overview
- EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said Beijing confirmed the EU is covered by the one‑year suspension of the tightened rare‑earth export curbs following his talks with Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao.
- China’s original plan to restrict the export of machinery and processing technologies for rare earths has been reported as suspended, while core export controls remain in place.
- Europe relies on China for roughly 99% of its rare‑earth supply, with Germany at about 95%, heightening the significance of the pause for semiconductor, clean‑tech and defense manufacturers.
- Germany’s raw materials agency warned the situation is serious for defense and automotive plans, as prior approvals were scarce, with an EUCCC survey finding only 19 of 141 export applications granted.
- EU leaders are accelerating diversification and resilience efforts, including the RESourceEU plan, expanded recycling, and sourcing partnerships with countries such as Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile and Greenland.