EU and China Discuss Rare Earths Supply Amid Export Controls

In a significant meeting last week, EU and Chinese officials deliberated on strategies to sustain the flow of rare earth elements, following Beijing's decision to impose export controls in April. The discussion focused on potential measures such as general licensing to ensure stable supply chains.

Meanwhile, the White House announced on Saturday that China plans to grant general export licenses for several critical materials, including rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite, primarily to benefit U.S. end users and their suppliers. The European Union, however, remains without a similar agreement.

During their Friday meeting, EU and Chinese officials expressed their commitment to maintaining rare earth supply chain stability. They agreed to continue engaging in talks on facilitating licenses, with hopes of discussing the implementation of general licenses in the future.