The European Union is 90% dependent on nickel imports from China and Indonesia.

Error detected

The claim states 90% dependence on nickel imports, but official EU data shows the actual import reliance is approximately 56% — a difference of 34 percentage points.

Omissions

• The MEP's statement conflates total import dependence with dependence on specific countries (China and Indonesia).
• The RMIS data indicates EU import reliance for nickel is about 56%, meaning domestic production covers approximately 44% of consumption.
• The claim does not specify whether the 90% refers to: (a) 90% of all nickel consumed coming from these two countries, or (b) 90% of imported nickel originating from these countries. Either interpretation would still be inconsistent with the documented 56% overall import reliance.
• The source found (RMIS) does not break down the specific share of imports from China and Indonesia, so the exact contribution of these countries cannot be verified from available sources.

Sources

• PrimaryRaw Materials Information System (RMIS) - JRC European CommissionFor Europe, the import reliance of nickel is about 56% with about 10 production locations online and another roughly 10 locations in late stage development.