EU Plans to Stockpile Critical Minerals Such as Tungsten and Rare Earths at Major Ports

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The EU has added tungsten, rare earths, and gallium to the first candidate list for joint stockpiling of critical minerals, as one of the concrete measures it is taking to secure the safe supply of critical minerals needed for defense, semiconductors, and the energy transition.

According to sources, the EU is in talks with major ports, including the Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port in the Netherlands, to stockpile these minerals. Magnesium is considered a priority reserve material, while other sources indicated that germanium and graphite will also become final stockpile minerals. Apart from magnesium, most of the minerals under consideration appear on NATO's list of 12 minerals deemed critical to the defense industry. Beyond military equipment, these minerals are equally critical for semiconductors in aircraft, automobiles, and smartphones, as well as for renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbines.

Last December, the European Commission announced this stockpiling plan. Ten EU member states are participating in the planning, with a working group led by Italy, France, and Germany. France has made diversifying the supply of critical minerals a priority during its presidency of the G7, and the G7 is also consulting on establishing a permanent secretariat to continue advancing related work after the rotating presidency changes.

A spokesperson for the Port of Rotterdam did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a European Commission spokesperson declined to comment.

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