Germany’s Economy Minister Katherina Reiche has called on the European Union to act against “huge” flows of copper scrap being shipped to China, warning that European smelters are losing access to vital raw materials.
“The Chinese are buying copper scrap from the market in huge quantities,” Reiche said at a Siemens Energy event in Berlin on Monday. “Large German copper smelters are no longer getting any raw materials.”
Reiche urged the creation of EU-wide policies to stop China from outbidding European firms for scrap, framing the issue as part of a broader push to strengthen Europe’s economic resilience. She did not outline specific restrictions but said the debate should sit alongside Europe’s wider trade and industrial policies.
The remarks underscore how global commodities supply chains are becoming increasingly politicized, a trend sharpened by US President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies. Any EU move to limit copper scrap exports would add to existing trade tensions with Beijing, already strained over Chinese electric vehicle exports.
China has steadily increased scrap copper imports over the past five years as its smelters expand production and mined ore becomes more expensive. With US shipments collapsing this year, Chinese buyers have turned to other markets, including Europe. Imports from EU nations hit 204,000 tons in the first seven months of 2025, up 3.5% year-on-year, representing about 15% of China’s total scrap intake.
Reiche also emphasized the need for Europe to promote domestic mining of lithium and rare earths, critical to energy transition technologies, to reduce reliance on external suppliers.