Overview
- Germany, which reported 2025 trade data Tuesday, imported 5,500 tonnes of rare earths worth €77.6 million.
- China’s share by volume fell to 55.4% from 65.4% in 2024, with Austria and Estonia next in the tally though they often only process material.
- China’s share of the import bill rose to 31.2% (about €24.2 million), which points to reliance on higher‑value elements such as praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium, whose imports rose to 13.0 tonnes.
- Across the EU, extra‑EU imports reached 15,100 tonnes in 2025 with 46.8% from China, showing bloc‑wide exposure to a supplier that also dominates global refining.
- EU industry groups report slow and opaque Chinese licensing under new export controls, pushing firms to rethink sourcing as the EU’s 2030 goals for more domestic mining and processing remain hard to meet.