Beijing wants to better protect its domestic rare earths. This is according to a document published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Wednesday. In the document, the ministry calls for proposals to control the mining, processing, and separation of rare earths.
Rare earths are needed for the batteries of electric cars and in the manufacture of smartphones, among other things. China’s rare earths are already under strong state control: According to a decree issued last year, the resources belong to the Chinese state. Companies that mine rare earths in China must set up a traceability system. This is intended to prevent the uncontrolled export of rare earths. After the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs, China also tightened export controls on rare earths in October 2024.
The EU is heavily dependent on imports of Chinese rare earths. According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, around 66% of the coveted metals imported from January to November 2022 came from China. ek