Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the strength of China’s role in the rare earth mineral supply chain on the supply of electric vehicles in the UK.

The automotive sector relies on rare earths for magnets in electric vehicle motors, and other critical minerals – like lithium, graphite and cobalt – for batteries.

Of the 18 critical minerals defined in the UK criticality assessment, China is the largest producer for 12 of them as refined products. China produced 76% of rare earth elements between 2016 and 2020.[1]

We are working closely with international partners in the G7, International Energy Agency and Mineral Security Partnership to strengthen and diversify our critical mineral supply chains and improve environmental and social governance – including engaging with China to achieve our objectives.

[1] British Geological Survey, World Mineral Statistics Database 2022