EU, China set up "special communication channel" to ensure rare earth supply

VTV.vn - The EU has established a "special communication channel" with China to ensure the supply of rare earths and support export licensing.

European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on November 5 that the EU has established a "special communication channel" with the Chinese government to ensure the supply of important rare earth materials for the bloc's industries.

Speaking to reporters at the GCC-EU 2025 Business Forum in Kuwait, Mr. Sefcovic said that the EU and China have agreed to prioritize the processing of applications from European companies. Through this new communication channel, officials from both sides are coordinating to review and expedite the issuance of export licenses for rare earth materials.

Since China’s export controls came into effect, European companies have submitted around 2,000 applications to Chinese authorities, and just over half have been approved, Sefcovic said. The EU is continuing to urge China to process the remaining cases more quickly, he said. In parallel, the EU is also working to diversify its supply by developing new sources in Europe, including rare earth and magnet production in Estonia.

The European Commission (EC) said this week that EU and Chinese officials have discussed issuing a joint license to facilitate rare earth exports, similar to the one the US says it has received from China.

The move comes after China imposed export controls on rare earths earlier this year, raising concerns in Europe about disruptions to production of electric vehicles, wind turbines and other technologies that rely on permanent magnets. A series of subsequent agreements with Europe and the US have helped ease the supply shortage, while the EU, US and others are racing to build alternative rare earth supply chains to China.

Source: https://vtv.vn/eu-trung-quoc-thiet-lap-kenh-lien-lac-dac-biet-nham-dam-bao-nguon-cung-dat-hiem-100251106153648795.htm