EU Parliament: China uses export barriers for rare earths as a weapon
MEPs are very concerned about Chinese export restrictions on critical raw materials and are calling on the Commission to take immediate action.
(Image: Tatohra/Shutterstock.com)
The European Parliament has called on the EU Commission to react as quickly as possible to the export restrictions imposed by China on rare earths. They were imposed in April in response to increased US tariffs on Chinese products. In a resolution on Thursday, MEPs condemned Beijing's decision "in the strongest terms". It was adopted by a large majority of 523 votes to 75. The export barriers for seven critical raw materials and magnets would significantly disrupt supply chains "that are essential for the automotive industry, defense manufacturers, semiconductor companies, green technologies, healthcare applications and many other industries in the EU and worldwide".
In the resolution, Parliament complains that China's actions are unjustified and that the Middle Kingdom is using its supply chains for rare earths "as a weapon". The representatives of the people are "deeply concerned" about the requirements imposed by the Chinese state authorities, according to which applicants must disclose sensitive data when applying for export licenses. This is associated with a considerable risk of leaks of security-relevant business and state secrets in the technology sector.
Videos by heise
Driving forward the extraction of raw materials in the EU
Parliament is calling on the Commission and the member states to speed up the implementation of the EU regulation on critical raw materials. It is intended to ensure that the EU has secure, diversified, and sustainable access to raw materials. The EU must identify areas where it offers decisive advantages over China in essential goods and technologies and exploit and develop these. According to reports, some European manufacturers are facing production stoppages due to a shortage of rare earths. In addition, the price of the relevant metals has risen sharply.
MEPs emphasize that the EU must mine critical raw materials on its territory and restore relevant processing capacities. They also call for the conclusion of bilateral strategic partnerships for rare earths that are based on genuine, mutually beneficial partnerships and meet high sustainability and human rights standards. The Commission and the EU countries should also assess the minimum level for stocks of strategic raw materials and the corresponding end uses. According to the Parliament, the whole issue will be discussed at the upcoming EU-China summit scheduled for July 24 and 25.
(nie)
