The Federation of German Industries (BDI) has criticized the federal government’s approach to raw‑material policy as being too cautious, urging a more proactive strategy to secure critical resources.
BDI CEO Wolfgang Niedermark told the German editorial network that while the policy side recognizes the importance of the issue, it still lacks a clear plan. “If Germany wants to lead in the high‑tech agenda-AI, quantum computing, electric mobility-its raw‑material base must be secured” he stressed. Without that foundation, the ambitions remain fragile.
Niedermark pointed out that Germany has made only limited headway in reducing single‑source dependencies.
The industrial body calls for a firm political commitment to increase domestic extraction of raw materials, and for “competitive conditions” concerning energy costs, permitting procedures and bureaucracy. It also demands targeted incentives so that ores mined in Germany are processed, recycled and consumed locally; otherwise, domestic projects would not be economically viable.
He contrasted Europe’s situation with that of China, which strategically uses its market power, and the United States, which offers massive subsidies, security arguments and purchase guarantees to drive raw‑material projects. “Critical resources are a long‑standing part of U.S. national‑security policy” Niedermark said. “Europe often acts too slowly, too complexly and too fragmented; it simply cannot keep pace in a systems‑competition”.
The BDI referred to a U.S. policy example: from 2027 the United States would exclude Chinese batteries from defense production, creating clear investment and purchase signals throughout the entire value chain. Such mandates could have the same effect in Germany, given the financial space available in the defense budget.
Economy / Finance
