Rare earths power modern tech: EV motors, wind turbines, electronics, and defense. China is tightening controls on their exports. Prof. Przemysław Skulski (WUEB) explains where the real bottleneck is — and how Europe can respond.
What matters to understand?
- The key issue isn’t mining — it’s processing. China leads in the toughest step: refining and separation. That’s where market leverage comes from.
- Impact on industry: when refined materials are scarce or expensive, production slows and costs rise — from EV motors to high‑performance magnets.
- Europe’s response: deliver on the CRMA agenda, scale recycling, and build processing capacity at home and with trusted partners.
- What businesses can do: diversify suppliers, sign longer contracts, build safety buffers, and design products for material recovery.
In the longer term we can reduce dependency — but it will be neither quick nor cheap. — Prof. Przemysław Skulski
Want to dive deeper? Read the full expert commentary at badania.uew.pl/en: https://badania.uew.pl/en/china-limits-rare-earth-exports-commentary-by-prof-przemyslaw-skulski-wueb/.
