France Unveils Rules to Reduce Reliance on China for Rare Earths
Rare earths magnets in a barrel prior to being crushed into powder at a factory in Tianjin, China.
Photographer: Doug Kanter/BloombergFrance announced fresh measures to curb reliance on Chinese rare earths in a move to safeguard industries ranging from consumer electronics to electric cars and offshore wind.
France’s push reflects intensifying global efforts to secure access to raw materials that are essential to the energy transition, after China — which has long dominated the market for rare earths — used export controls as a trade weapon in 2025.