The of the Federal Government, published on the same day. They show both increased participation in the wants to focus its foreign raw materials policy more strongly on securing supplies for German businesses. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche presented plans to the Cabinet on 11 November 2026 outlining how her ministry, the Federal Foreign Office and the Development Ministry intend to work together. The focus is on closer ties with resource-rich countries, better coordination among German bodies abroad and greater involvement from businesses.
According to the ministries involved, existing dependencies are to be reduced and sources of supply diversified. Partnerships already in place with Australia, Brazil, Chile, Canada and South Africa. The government intends to deepen these ties in a targeted way. It also plans to focus more on countries whose raw material deposits could be developed to support German supplies in the medium or long term.
The reorganisation initially concerns above all how cooperation is organised. Central points of contact for raw materials matters are to be set up abroad. They will coordinate German activities on the ground and make it easier for businesses and partner countries to reach the right contacts. They will also help with business contacts and political support for projects.
A number of organisations are already involved in international work on raw materials. According to the ministries, these include German diplomatic missions and chambers of commerce abroad, as well as KfW Development Bank, with the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources and the German Agency for International Cooperation. The planned points of contact are intended to bring their work into closer alignment.
The Federal Government has held out the prospect of partner countries taking part in economic processing. Lasting partnerships require an economic interest on both sides; local value chains should therefore be developed with support. Germany also wants to work with more countries that themselves have a demand for raw materials. The aim is to enable long-term offtake agreements and joint financing.
Reiche said that, alongside international supply relationships, domestic raw material potential and recycling also needed to be used more effectively. The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs acknowledged that Germany would continue to rely on international supplies. Under the plans, businesses should be able to put forward their specific purchasing interests more directly. The Economics Ministry also intends to provide information on partnerships and raw materials expertise centres, and to offer a central contact address.
The move follows a debate about how effective the existing measures have been. At the government press conference on 9 November 2026, the Economics Ministry was asked which measures had already enabled additional supplies of rare earths from sources outside China. A ministry spokesperson referred to several tools, including the national raw materials fund and financial credit guarantees, but did not cite any specific additional supply volumes in the response.
The plans now presented focus mainly on how government bodies and businesses are to work together in future. Whether they lead to additional supplies will also depend on businesses and local partners agreeing and financing projects. The joint statement from the ministries gave no date for when measurable additional supply volumes might be achieved.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).