The EU depends on China for more than 80% of many critical raw materials and for 90% of certain rare earths.

Omissions

• The exact percentages vary substantially by source and by sub-category of rare earth: the EPRS states the EU sources ALL of its heavy REEs and 85% of its light REEs from China, plus 98% of its rare-earth magnets; the EU Publications Office cites 98% of total REE supply; Euronews cites 'over 90%' for rare-earth magnets.
• Some sources give lower figures for a differently defined metric: the ECB is reported to estimate that China accounts for around 70% of the EU's rare-earth imports, and Eurostat shows China at about 40% of EU 'REE+' imports by value (2025) — a broader/differently classified category. This means the '90%' figure is not universal to all rare-earth measures.
• The 'more than 80% for many critical raw materials' element is a broad political framing; the figure most clearly documented is that the EU imports about 80% of its overall critical raw material demand (from all sources, not only China), while China-specific dependence exceeds 80% only for particular CRMs such as magnesium and heavy rare earths.
• The most directly relevant EPRS/Think Tank and Euronews sources are dated after the session date (late 2025) and are journalistic/secondary in nature; the MEP could not have known those specific publications, although the underlying dependence data predates them.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Central Bank — Economic Bulletin, 'How vulnerable is the euro area to restrictions on Chinese rare earth exports?'The euro area is exposed to supply chain risks linked to Chinese exports of rare earth elements – it relies on direct imports from China and indirect supply via third parties. China dominates the global rare earth market, producing 95% of the world's rare earths.
• PrimaryEurostat — Statistics Explained, International trade in critical raw materialsMeasured in value, in 2025, the top 3 origins of REE+ imports, accounted for two-thirds of EU imports. The bulk of EU imports of REE+ originated from China (40%), followed by Norway (15%) and Malaysia (11%).
• PrimaryEU Publications Office — The EU's dependence on Chinese rare earthsThe European Union (EU) faces a vulnerability with its heavy reliance on China, which currently accounts for 98% of its total REEs supply.
• SecondaryEPRS / European Parliament Think Tank — China's rare-earth export restrictionsThe EU sources all of its heavy REEs and 85 % of its light REEs from China, as well as 98 % of its rare-earth magnets. Similarly to the rest of the world, the EU is heavily dependent on China for its supply, as China controls 60 % of global REE production and 90 [% of processing].
• SecondaryEuronews — EU seeks to end dependency on China for rare earths"If you consider that over 90% of our consumption of rare earth magnets come from imports from China, you see the risks here for Europe and its [industry]."
• SecondaryIstituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) — Europe's Dependence on Critical Raw MaterialsThe EU still imports 80 per cent of its demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) however. A considerable share originates in China, raising [supply-security concerns].