Europe Opens Critical Minerals Trading Platform

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

Summary

Europe's first trading platform for critical minerals has started accepting submissions from buyers and sellers.

Match-Making Buyers and Sellers

The European Union (EU) has started accepting submissions on its Raw Materials Platform to accelerate the development of its own critical minerals supply chains and to reduce its heavy reliance on China and others. 

The match-making platform is designed to bring together buyers and suppliers of raw materials as well as financial backers, in an effort to aggregate demand and boost the supply of critical raw materials (CRMs) and strategic raw materials (SRMs) from existing and new sources. The EU hopes that it will lead to joint purchasing for a wide range of energy-related products and strategic raw materials. It will focus first on "immediately and soon-to-be-available" rare earths, battery and defence raw materials value chains. Demand for rare earth metals in the region is predicted by the EU to increase sixfold by 2030 and sevenfold by 2050. For lithium - a key element used in electric vehicles (EVs), laptops and phone batteries - EU demand is expected to increase twelvefold by 2030 and twentyone-fold by 2050. According to Industrial Info Resources' data there are almost 1,300 active mining-related projects in Europe worth . Subscribers to Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports. 

Diversifying Supplies

"Through this platform, buyers of critical raw materials will be able to aggregate demand and connect with suppliers, financial institutions, and storage providers," the European Commission stated, launching the platform. "The Raw Materials Mechanism is part of the EU's efforts to diversify supplies of critical raw materials, building on the EU Energy Platform. Because industry in the EU remains heavily dependent on a limited number of third-country suppliers, the initiative aims to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen economic security in the face of growing geopolitical risks by giving visibility to alternative sources. For companies, particularly smaller ones, it will allow them to build partnerships beyond their existing networks. With a focus on strategic sectors such as rare earths, defence and battery materials, the voluntary and market-based tool complements existing commercial relationships without intervening in negotiations. Companies interested in taking part in this first round can register by the end of April."

The platform is also being used for hydrogen now (Hydrogen Mechanism) and for gas (Gas Mechanism), in the future. First submissions for hydrogen were accepted in November to connect suppliers of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen with industrial buyers. Earlier this month the Commission told Reuters that there had been more than 270 matchups so far.

Europe's RESourceEU Action Plan

The establishment of the platform is a key part of the EU's RESourceEU Action Plan to combat its overreliance on China for critical minerals. It will fast-track 'concrete projects that can provide alternative supplies in the short term' and has more than 3 billion euro (US$3.5 billion) in funding for its first year. RESourceEU is similar to the REPowerEU strategy that was put in place in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine and which has helped the EU to drastically reduce its reliance on Russian oil and gas. For additional information, see December 15, 2025, article - Billions of Euro for Europe's Critical Raw Materials Plan.

Chinese Dominance

Europe is heavily reliant on third countries--especially China--with more than 90% of its supply of certain minerals coming from a single third country. Today, around 71% of the EU's gallium comes from China along with 97% of its magnesium supply. Turkey supplies 98% of its borate, and South Africa provides 71% of the EU's platinum-group metals. The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), enacted in 2024, set out a series of comprehensive actions to reduce that reliance, claiming that no more than 65% of the EU's annual consumption of any of 17 strategic raw materials could come from a single third country. It identifies 34 CRMs and within that, 17 specific SRMs like gallium and lithium. By 2030, Europe must also extract at least 10% of its own strategic raw materials, process at least 40% of them and recycle at least 25%. In recent years, the EU has been busy inking mineral deals globally with a growing list of countries to create new sources of critical and strategic minerals. While negotiations with the U.S. have stalled since 2024, the EU is hopeful that its recent landmark trade deal - the EU-Mercosur agreement - with critical minerals-rich Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay will play a key role in reducing its reliance on China, Turkey and South Africa. For additional information, see January 29, 2026, article - EU Signs Landmark South American Trade Deal. 

Key Takeaways

• Europe launches its Raw Materials Platform to bring together buyers and sellers of critical and strategic minerals. 
• The platform has already been used to match hundreds of buyers, sellers and financial backers in the renewable and low-carbon hydrogen market.
• Europe is too reliant on third countries--especially China--with more than 90% of its supply of certain minerals coming from a single third country.

About Industrial Info Resources

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).