Netherlands dependent on China for eight critical materials

In 2024, China was the Netherlands’ main supplier for eight critical materials. China’s influence is even greater in the import of products containing critical materials and in the extraction and processing of critical materials, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported based on new research into materials of major economic importance.

Critical materials like cobalt, rare earth metals, or lithium are causing geopolitical tensions worldwide. The risk of supply disruptions is high, and they are difficult to substitute with other materials. These materials are strategically important for the green and digital transitions, defense, and healthcare, and are used in many products like solar panels and microchips.

The Netherlands imports most of the critical materials barite, bismuth, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, strontium, tantalum, and fluorspar from China. This makes China the largest supplier of critical materials to the Netherlands, followed by Germany. In total, the Netherlands imported €22.3 billion worth of critical materials in 2024. A large portion of this is directly exported to the rest of Europe.

China is a major producer of critical materials. The country is the largest extractor of 11 materials, followed by the United States, South Africa, Turkey, and Congo. China also has the largest reserves of nine materials, followed by Australia, and is the world’s largest processor of 19 materials.

Critical materials also enter the Netherlands as components of products. China exports many of these finished products containing critical materials to the Netherlands. In 2024, this involved a total product value of €58.4 billion. This primarily included laptops, tablets, solar panels, phones, routers, lithium-ion batteries, inverters, and computer components. However, a large portion of these products is not destined for the Netherlands but is transported on to other European countries.