Critical materials are materials of great economic importance for the EU and have a high risk of supply disruption. They are found in many different products and are necessary for sustainability (e.g., solar panels) and digitalization (e.g., microchips).
The Netherlands imports 8 critical materials (barite, bismuth, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, strontium, tantalum, and fluorspar) mostly from China. Thus, China is the country that most frequently serves as the largest supplier of critical materials for the Netherlands. Germany follows with six listings.
China is also a major producer of critical materials. For 11 materials, China is the largest raw material extractor, followed by the US, South Africa, Turkey, and Congo with 2 listings. Additionally, China has the largest economically recoverable reserves in the ground for 9 materials, followed by Australia with 3 listings. Finally, China is the largest processor in the world for 19 critical materials.
