EU, China to hold urgent rare earths talks in Brussels
European Union and Chinese officials will hold emergency meetings in Brussels following Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth exports. Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic spoke with Chinese Minister Wang Wentao for two hours on Tuesday and secured an agreement for immediate talks. China controls most global production of minerals used in magnets for automobiles, electronics, and military equipment.
The new export controls forced some European manufacturers to stop operations and caused economic damage across the bloc. Sefcovic called the Chinese measures unjustified and harmful but said Brussels wants to avoid confrontation. The European Union has coordinated with the Group of Seven partners on potential responses. Wang accepted the invitation to visit the Belgian capital for urgent discussions on resolving the trade dispute.
