稀土一断，美欧全抓狂了！马克龙要动用“核选项”，美国也有狠招

Core Points - The EU summit in Brussels on October 23 saw French President Macron's strong stance on China's rare earth export controls, urging the EU to consider activating the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) to retaliate against China [1][3] - The "nuclear option" proposed by Macron would grant the EU significant retaliatory powers, including imposing high tariffs and restricting investments from countries deemed to be engaging in "economic coercion" [3][5] - Despite the potential deterrent effect of the ACI, it has never been effectively utilized since its inception, as demonstrated by the EU's decision to compromise with the US during a previous trade dispute [5][7] Rare Earth Dependency - The EU's dependency on China for rare earth elements is significantly higher than anticipated, with 82% of its rare earth demand met through imports from China, and 95% dependency in the refining and processing stages [7][19] - In 2025, China accounted for 64% of global rare earth production and controlled 78% of the refining capacity, making it challenging for the EU to find alternative suppliers in the short term [7][19] - Germany's trade with China has surpassed that with the US, with a trade volume of €163.4 billion in the first eight months of 2025, highlighting the economic interdependence between the EU and China [7][19] Economic Implications - The potential activation of the "nuclear option" could severely disrupt the EU's manufacturing sector due to rare earth shortages, leading to significant economic repercussions [7][19] - The European Automobile Manufacturers Association warned that if the rare earth shortage is not resolved within 60 days, 60% of EU electric vehicle factories and 40% of wind energy equipment factories could face shutdowns, potentially reducing the EU's GDP growth by 0.8 percentage points in 2025 [20][19] - The US has also reacted strongly to China's rare earth controls, considering severe sanctions that could impact both economies, but the feasibility and consequences of such actions remain uncertain [9][11][12]