France Launches Rare Earth and Permanent Magnets Resilience Plan, Targets 100% EU Heavy Rare Earth Supply by 2030

According to the French government, France announced a National Resilience Plan for rare earths and permanent magnets in May 2026 to secure critical metal supplies and reduce dependence on overseas supply chains. The plan aims to rebuild a complete production chain spanning rare earth separation, alloy manufacturing, and permanent magnet production, with 2030 targets including meeting 100% of Europe's heavy rare earth demand, 25% of light rare earth demand, and supplying approximately 10% of European rare earth alloy needs.

The initiative will be supported through extended green industry tax credits, the France 2030 program, a 2 billion euro critical metals investment fund, and enhanced European and international cooperation to diversify supply sources. Currently, approximately 85% of global rare earth separation capacity is concentrated in a single country, creating significant geopolitical risks to supply chains.