They’re called the “cocaine of the high-tech industry” – more valuable than gold or real estate, experts say , when referring to the 17 rare earth elements. At first glance, they’re just unremarkable bits of metal, but they’re so highly sought after that a silent war is already underway. China holds a near-monopoly on the mining and refining of these metals. Extracting rare earths is extremely dirty. Yet they’re found in nearly all high-tech products, from smartphones to electric cars. This gives China enormous market power – which it has used strategically, most recently in its trade conflict with the U.S. Why have so many industrialized nations made themselves so vulnerable? And what can they do in response – especially now, as China’s foreign minister tours Europe? Our question today: “The Battle for Rare Earths: How Much power does China hold Over the West?”
Our guests:
Felix Lee, from German broadsheet Süpddeutsche Zeitung – former China correspondent and economic journalist
Tim Borgschulte, CFO of Noble BC GmbH, a company trading in rare earths
Mareike Ohlberg, China expert at the German Marshall Fund
Chapters:
00:00 China decides how much rare earths it puts on the market
02:40 Security issue: 90 percent of all raw earths are coming from China
04:35 China is pricing out other countries
06:50 China is using rare earth in the trade war with the US
07:50 How long will stocks last?
09:00 Video: What exactly are rare earths?
10:50 China could use monopoly on rare earths in war scenarios
12:05 China used rare earths as “super weapon” in negotiations with US
14:40 China is using rare earths supplies as a geopolitical weapon
16:30 Video: alternatives to rare earths
18:20 EU must regain skills of mining and refining rare earths
21:20 How can Europe invest in rare earths mining and production?
22:50 Recycling of rare earths is possible, but complicated
23:30 EU needs better industry policies; states have to take risks
#RareEarth #China #ToThePoint
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Author: DW News
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News post in July 3, 2025, 3:04 pm.
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