The European Union has shortlisted tungsten, rare earths and gallium for its first joint stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing its reliance on China, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The EU is also talking to major ports including Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the region’s biggest, to store the minerals, one of the three and a fourth source said.
The move marks one of the bloc’s most concrete steps to insulate its economy from Beijing’s production dominance in critical minerals – vital to defence, semiconductors and the energy transition – and often used as leverage in trade disputes with the West.
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Western allies, including the United States, are racing to build their own stockpiles after Beijing’s export curbs sent shocks through the global economy.
Two of the sources said magnesium would be on the priority list, while one said germanium and graphite were expected to make the final mix.
Most of the minerals under consideration, except magnesium, appear on Nato’s list of 12 elements deemed critical to the defence industry.