US EditionGlobal Alarm: China's Grip on Critical Minerals Threatens Auto Production Worldwide
- On March 7, 2025, Volkswagen workers assembled cars at the Wolfsburg factory amid growing industry concerns over rare earth shortages.
- The shortages stem from China’s early April export restrictions and a new licensing regime targeting rare earth magnets critical to auto production.
- Trade talks last week in Paris between Chinese and EU officials led China to offer a 'green channel' to expedite export licenses for European firms.
- Jonathan O’Riordan of ACEA noted global rare earth stocks have depleted since April, risking production outages for manufacturers including Stellantis and Volkswagen.
- The export curbs have caused some plant shutdowns, like Suzuki’s Swift suspension, signaling broader supply chain risks and prompting calls for diversified rare earth sources.
47 Articles
47 Articles
The car industry is in crisis. For some suppliers, it could become tight in the coming years. According to a survey, the industry expects companies to disappear from the market.
Supply Chain Failures Get More Dangerous (Part 1)
President Trump has long said we have leverage because China needs exports to the US. True. With his tariff climb-down, though, supply chains seem to give China the edge. Supply chain problems aren’t at all new, they stem from years of mistakes by US business and two administrations. They won’t be fixed by fantasies of a lasting China deal. The President must coerce some American companies, while thinking longer-term than he’s used to. June’s to…
The automotive industry panics at the export restrictions of rare magnets and minerals imposed by China. Frank Eckard, CEO of German company Magnosphere, has experienced an avalanche of calls from car manufacturers and parts suppliers desperately seeking alternative sources, according to the original report.These restrictions threaten to paralyze production lines in a matter of weeks if no backup supplies are found.Agreement between Trump and Xi…
China’s strict controls on the export of heat-resistant magnets made from rare earth minerals have exposed a significant vulnerability in the US military supply chain. Without these magnets, the US and its allies in Europe will have difficulty replenishing their newly depleted military weapons inventories. For more than a decade, the US has failed to develop an alternative to China’s supply of a specific type of rare land, crucial to the manufac…
China has in fact a monopoly in the processing and processing of rare earths. The U.S. mining area lags far behind Chinese competition. More countries are now starting to promote it.
The US and China are trying to strangle each other's economies with microchips and rare earths as weapons. Globalization is dying, writes Asia correspondent Sebastian Kjeldtoft in this news analysis.
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