Europe faces mounting pressure from both China and the United States amid a deepening global trade dispute. With 93% of refined rare earth elements sourced from China, tightened export controls and demands for sensitive corporate data have exposed the EU’s critical dependency on Chinese raw materials essential for semiconductors, e-mobility, and energy-transition technologies.

As the US urges the EU to impose tariffs on China, Europe finds itself squeezed between geopolitical giants. The European Commission is now prioritizing a circular economy and alternative supply chains to reduce reliance on foreign resources and safeguard its technological future.

 

This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication