By voting in favour of today’s resolution, the S&D Group urges China to lift its unjustified export restrictions on rare earth elements. These critical raw materials are essential for the green and digital transitions.

Ahead of the upcoming EU-China summit, the S&Ds call on the Commission and member states to adopt a coherent response, engage with China for a structural solution, and press for the immediate and full lifting of these harmful export restrictions.

Kathleen Van Brempt, S&D vice-president for International Trade and negotiator on this file, said:

“China’s export restrictions on critical raw materials have severely disrupted key global supply chains, from automakers and semiconductor producers to green technologies and healthcare sectors. The Chinese authorities shouldn’t keep the door to critical raw materials half-open and half-closed depending on political convenience. These materials are essential for the global green transition, they’re not bargaining chips. By restricting them, China irresponsibly weaponises its near-monopoly in the market.

“It is crucial that the Commission puts maximum effort into reaching a negotiated, long-term solution. We need a level playing field. And we need to build more partners, not rivals. China is a global power, and geopolitical dynamics are clearly shifting. Let us continue the dialogue and work together on shared challenges.

“But partnership is based on trust. Competition is normal; coercion is not. Europe extends its hand for cooperation with China, but we must also firmly defend our economic interests. That means addressing industrial overcapacity, forced technology transfers and unfair subsidies, while reducing our strategic dependence on China for critical inputs.”