Britain, strategy for critical minerals - Seeks to increase domestic production and reduce dependence on China
The UK has launched a new national strategy for critical minerals and rare earths in a bid to reduce its dependence on China. Beijing controls global supplies of many essential materials, including magnets used in everything from household appliances to cars. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the country had been “too dependent on a few foreign suppliers” for too long, exposing its economy and national security to global shocks.
The initiative is accompanied by a £50m fund to boost production at tungsten and lithium mines in Cornwall, home to Europe's largest lithium deposits. The strategy comes after trade tensions between China and the EU over supplies of automotive chips, showing Beijing is willing to use critical materials for political pressure.
The UK and US are trying to reduce their dependence on Beijing, but producing and processing rare earth minerals takes many years and huge investment. Although lithium is widely available in Europe, it must be processed into lithium hydroxide for use in electric car batteries, a process that is time-consuming and capital-intensive. Europe's only lithium hydroxide refinery, in Germany, took five years to build and £150m to build.
Earlier this year, Britain signed a minerals cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to strengthen supply chains and attract new investment. Rare earth minerals are essential for smartphones, electric cars and the construction of data centers that power artificial intelligence.
The strategy states that Britain should not source more than 60% of a mineral from a single partner country by 2035. The government aims to increase domestic production and recycling to boost the economy and help lower the cost of living. Currently, the country produces only 6% of its needs for critical minerals. The aim is for London to expand domestic mining and processing, particularly of lithium, nickel, tungsten and rare earths, and to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium by 2035.
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