Dealing with our Critical Raw Materials dependency – A Strategic Moment for UK and Europe
Andrew Gomarsall on measures to encourage bio-based refining and address a key issue in our economic security.
The UK and Europe are at a strategic turning point. The more we continue to rely on external suppliers who can weaponise supply or inflate prices, the more fragile our industries will become.
A recent report by the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) highlights China’s increasing control and influence over supply chains, export restrictions and price-wars.
- rare earths
- permanent magnets
- gallium
- graphite
China’s strategy is not just trade but is tying up the underpinnings of industrial competitiveness: the materials, the refining, the supply certainty.
Author summary: Europe faces a critical raw materials dependency.