Netherlands: Seven of Its Eight Most Critical Raw Materials Are Processed Mainly in China, Gallium Tops the List
Seven of the eight most critical raw materials for the Dutch economy are processed mainly in China before they reach the Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on October 29 in new research, with gallium — a material essential for making microchips — ranking highest in criticality for the semiconductor, defence and energy-transition industries.
The study assessed every material on the European Union's official list of critical raw materials for economic importance, risk of supply disruption and expected growth in demand. Of the eight highest-scoring materials, seven are processed mainly in China: gallium, rare earth minerals, germanium, natural graphite, lithium, cobalt and silicon metal. The eighth, niobium, is the only exception, supplied primarily by Brazil.
At least 74 percent of these seven materials are processed in China. The share is 94 percent for natural graphite and 84 percent for rare earth minerals. Gallium is the most imported critical raw material from China.
Gallium received the highest criticality score for three reasons, CBS said. China controls almost the entire global production of gallium and uses export restrictions as a tool of geopolitical leverage, creating a high risk of supply disruption. Gallium is essential for producing microchips and high-tech products, key drivers of the Dutch economy. And the shift to super intelligence, electric vehicles and faster networks requires chips far more powerful and energy-efficient than current silicon-based solutions, driving rapid growth in demand.
The materials are crucial for the semiconductor and defence industries as well as the energy transition, the agency said, while geopolitical tensions continue to threaten the stability of imports.
In 2025, the Netherlands imported 17.2 billion euros' worth of critical raw materials and 123.9 billion euros' worth of products containing these materials from non-EU sources. Together, the two categories account for almost one-third of the total value of Dutch imports from outside the EU.
Source: Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：鹿特丹港港区（资料图）。照片：AlfvanBeem，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: The Port of Rotterdam (file photo). Photo: AlfvanBeem, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
