UPDATE - Germany voices support for US critical minerals initiative

ADDS BACKGROUND, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Wednesday expressed support for a new US-led initiative aimed at reducing dependence on China and strengthening critical minerals supply chains.

German Deputy Foreign Minister Florian Hahn said he’ll be attending today the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, which will be hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C.

“The German government expressly welcomes the US commitment to closer dialogue with Europe and other partners on the highly important issue of critical raw materials,” Hahn said, adding that securing access to rare earths is central to Germany's competitiveness and security.

“In light of growing geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions and the instrumentalization of dependencies, the German government is giving top priority to supporting businesses in securing and diversifying their raw material supplies. One key element of this is reducing German and European dependencies and actively developing new collaborations,” he said.

Critical minerals—including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements—are essential for technologies ranging from electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines to smartphones and military equipment.

Germany, the EU's largest economy, sources 65% of its rare earth elements from China, which holds a near-monopoly on the global market and has restricted exports since last year. The EU as a whole imports 46% of its rare earth elements from China.

Last month, the US administration announced its new international initiative to diversify sourcing and reduce reliance on single suppliers. The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the inaugural ministerial meeting on Feb. 4, bringing together delegations from over 50 nations to strengthen critical mineral supply chains—which it described as "vital to America's economic and national security, technological leadership, and a resilient energy future."