“We are concerned about this announcement and are studying the details,” said the Commission’s spokesperson responsible for trade issues, Olav Gill, reminding that the President of the Commission and the President of the European Council had discussed this matter with the President of China, Xi Jinping, during the EU-China Summit last July in Beijing.
The European Commission expressed its “concern” over China’s announcement to impose sweeping controls on the export of rare earths and related technologies.
“We are concerned about this announcement and are studying the details,” said the Commission’s trade spokesperson, Olov Gill, reminding that the President of the Commission and the President of the European Council had discussed this issue with the President of China, Xi Jinping, during the EU-China Summit last July in Beijing. “The Commission expects China to act as a reliable partner and to ensure stable and predictable access to critical raw materials,” the spokesperson added, noting that “the Commission continues its important work on diversifying sources of supply for critical raw materials.”
The group of Social Democrats in the European Parliament also expressed “serious concern” about China’s export controls on rare earths in a statement. “These controls, framed as measures to protect national security, are imposed to strengthen China’s dominance over critical materials essential for global high-tech and green energy industries,” emphasizes the Social Democrats’ statement, which calls on the Commission and member states “to accelerate efforts to develop a diversified and resilient supply chain for rare earths independent of any single country.”
Rare earths are vital for many technologies – from smartphones and electric vehicles to renewable energy systems and defense applications. “China’s overwhelming control over the supply chain – which accounts for over 70% of mining and more than 90% of processing and manufacturing of magnets – gives it unprecedented leverage that poses the risk of destabilizing global markets and undermining fair competition,” points out the Group of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. (10/9/25)
