Europe's Quest for Rare Earth Metal Self-Sufficiency

China’s headstart in market dominance is significant, and its grip on critical mineral supply chains remains tight.

The question now is whether other governments can move fast enough — and smart enough — to build something more secure, more sustainable, and less dependent.

We head to La Rochelle in western France for a rare look inside one of the world’s biggest rare earth processing plants, and find out what it reveals about Europe’s efforts to build a supply chain of its own.

Presenter: Jonathan Josephs Producer: Matt Lines

(Image: A rare earth processing plant in La Rochelle, France, owned by chemicals giant Solvay)