Von der Leyen vows to strike back against China as EU feels rare earths squeeze

South China Morning PostCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Finbarr BerminghamOctober 25, 2025 at 11:51 AM

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed to retaliate against China’s export restrictions on rare earths during a speech at the Berlin Global Dialogue conference. The EU is exploring solutions with China but remains prepared to use various tools for response if necessary. Von der Leyen announced plans focusing on recycling, joint purchasing, stockpiling, and investment to counteract the rare earths supply squeeze. French President Emmanuel Macron has urged activation of the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, a powerful trade weapon that could impose tariffs or export controls on Chinese firms. The measures come in response to Beijing's recent actions controlling the export of processing equipment for rare earth minerals, which have halted some European production lines.

Key Topics & Entities

G7 50% Ursula von der Leyen ×2100% China ×3100% EU ×2100%

Keywords

rare earths 100% china 90% eu retaliation 80% export restrictions 70% anti-coercion instrument 60% trade weapon 50% joint purchasing 40% stockpiling 40% investment plan 40% recycling 40%