Europe and China in Rare Earths: Why the Gap Persists

The green and digital transition runs on critical raw materials. And rare earths — used in everything from wind turbines to EV motors to defence systems — are the most strategically vital of all.

China has been building its rare earth dominance since the 1980s. Today, it mines 70% of global rare earths, processes 90% of them — and in 2024, 95% of all EU rare earth imports came from China. That's not a supply chain risk. That's a dependency.

Europe is waking up. The Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU's fast-track mechanisms are the EU's answer — but policy alone won't close the gap.

In our latest episode, host Audrey Berder sits down with Simon Van Ootmerssen and Marc Moquette from the China Knowledge Network (CKN) — established by the Dutch Government — to unpack what this means for Europe, including the 3 main supply chain bottlenecks the EU must urgently address.