France’s Strategic Metals Envoy Predicts Rare Earth Independence from China Within Five Years
France's strategic metals envoy says Western nations can break reliance on Chinese rare earth magnets in 3-5 years as global supply projects accelerate.
POLICY WIRE — Sydney, Australia — Western nations are on a trajectory to significantly diversify their rare earth mineral supplies away from China within the next three to five years, according to France’s top envoy for strategic metals.
The assessment, delivered on Wednesday, highlights the rapid advancement of global projects designed to mitigate the current concentration of the market. Currently, China maintains a dominant position, controlling up to 90% of the production for certain specialized rare earth magnets.
This shift aligns with broader G7 objectives, which aim to substantially reduce dependence on Chinese mineral exports by 2030. The move reflects a fundamental reclassification of these materials within international trade, investment, and diplomatic frameworks.
France has already begun implementing its own national resilience plan, which was unveiled on Tuesday, May 5. The strategy specifically targets the permanent magnet sector to counter China’s control over more than 85% of global rare earth separation capacity.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
