Critical raw materials: Should Europe bu • Table.Briefings

To relieve supply chains and ensure production continuity, companies could build up raw materials reserves. Japan, China, and the USA are miles ahead of Berlin and Brussels where the topic is being discussed. So far, however, this approach has been too expensive. Government stocks could also be part of the strategy.

When Peter Handley, Head of Energy-Intensive Industries and Raw Materials, DG GROW, presented the first building blocks for the EU’s raw materials package in mid-July (Europe.Table reported), he did not reveal whether strategic raw materials stocks would also be part of it. The industry has been calling for political support for this tool since the beginning of the pandemic. This is because higher stock levels provide a buffer that companies can use to bridge supply bottlenecks in the short to medium term, cushion price risks, and thus reduce their dependence on suppliers.

Critical raw materials: Should Europe build reserves?

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