China Issues New Regulations on Rare Earths, Europe Can't Sit Still
On October 9th, China introduced new regulations on the export of rare earths. While the US reacted strongly, Europe also couldn't sit still.
According to Bloomberg, on the local time of the 10th, a spokesperson from the German Ministry of Economics responded to the new Chinese regulations, saying that it is too early to assess the impact of the new regulations, but Germany "is currently conducting in-depth discussions on this issue at the national and EU levels."
Rare earth-related items have dual-use properties for military and civilian purposes, and implementing export controls on them is a common international practice.
However, the spokesperson later claimed that China's increasingly tight restrictions on the export of key minerals in the technology industry have caused "great concern," and added that Germany must reduce its reliance on supplies outside the European Economic Area.
The spokesperson from the German Ministry of Economics stated that the government is maintaining close contact with affected companies and communicating with the European Commission and other European partners.
The spokesperson continued to repeat the old rhetoric of "solidarity" and "localization," stating that the German government's "goal is to achieve a coordinated European response strategy," while gradually moving the steps of raw material mining and processing to the German territory.
According to the New York Times in the United States, the day before (on the 9th), Olov Gil, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said at a press conference that the EU expressed "concern" about China's latest export restrictions. He also said: "The European Commission hopes that China will show a reliable partner attitude, ensuring a stable and predictable supply of critical raw materials."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845652322159754/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.