Rising demand highlights ongoing dependence on foreign supply—especially from China.
In 2025, Germany imported nearly 5% more rare earths than in the previous year, underscoring the growing importance of these critical raw materials. Import volumes rose from 5,200 to 5,500 tonnes, according to newly published data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
However, the share of imports from China declined. While more than 65 percent of Germany’s rare earth imports came from China in 2024, the figure dropped to just under 55 percent in 2025. Even so, Germany still accounted for nearly five percent of China’s total exports of these materials last year. China continues to dominate global production and, in particular, the processing of rare earths by a wide margin.
In 2025, Germany sourced 20 percent of its rare earth imports from Austria and nearly 11 percent from Estonia, Destatis reported. However, the agency noted that the original source of these materials cannot be statistically determined, as both countries primarily act as processing hubs rather than primary producers.
High Import Dependence Across the EU
Like Germany, the European Union also relied heavily on imports from China in 2025. According to Eurostat, the EU imported 15,100 tonnes of rare earths last year, with nearly 47 percent originating from China. Russia followed with just under 26 percent, and Malaysia accounted for 23 percent.
To reduce this dependency and strengthen raw material sovereignty, the EU introduced the Critical Raw Materials Act nearly two years ago. The legislative package includes measures to expand domestic mining and recycling capacities by 2030. However, a recent report by the European Court of Auditors found that the bloc has made limited progress in achieving these objectives.
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