The German federal government currently lacks key data necessary to effectively reduce the nation’s economic dependence on critical raw materials sourced from China. A response from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) to a parliamentary inquiry from the Green Party indicates that quantifying the economic damage resulting from potential Chinese export restrictions is “not reliably possible” as reported by “Der Spiegel”.
Currently, there is no requirement for companies with particularly high levels of dependence or within vulnerable supply chains to report this information, nor is there a central registry to track such dependencies – and neither is currently planned, according to the BMWE. Despite this lack of comprehensive data, the ministry, led by Minister Katherina Reiche, states it is working to support businesses in diversifying their raw material supply chains.
However, efforts appear to be yielding limited results. The ministry acknowledges that reliance on China for certain resources, including graphite and tungsten, has actually increased recently. Simultaneously, information regarding strategic reserves remains incomplete. The BMWE confirms that no dedicated funding programs exist to address this issue. Sandra Detzer, a Green Party member of parliament, has criticized the government’s approach, stating that it is “avoiding the responsibility of acting as a strong, independent force in securing greater raw material sovereignty”.