2025年6月6日，日本铃木汽车公司宣布，由于来自中国的含稀土材料零部件未能按时到货，公司位于日本本土的部分汽车生产线暂时停止运营。公司声明指出，短缺零部件主要用于汽车电子系统和发动机部件，直接影响生产计划。

　　这则看似不起眼的供应链中断公告，却悄然拉开了全球汽车产业新一轮断供危机的序幕。

　　就在铃木宣布停产的同一周，美国福特汽车也因稀土供应短缺暂停了芝加哥工厂福特探险者车型的生产，而包括丰田、大众、宝马在内的多家跨国车企，都在紧急排查供应链风险，评估自己距离停产还有多远。

　　全球汽车产业链的隐形命门

　　“稀土”并非字面意义上的“稀有土壤”，而是元素周期表中17种金属元素的总称。它们之所以珍贵，不仅因为储量相对稀少，更在于其独一无二的光、电、磁特性，这些特性如同魔法般赋予现代科技产品“超能力”。也正因此，它又被誉为“工业维生素”，广泛应用于汽车、3C、箱包玩具、陶瓷、音响、汽车及EV、电动自行车、风电等领域。

　　在汽车领域，从车窗玻璃的抛光剂，到尾气净化的催化剂，再到各种传感器，都离不开稀土元素。特别是在汽车产业迈向电动化的大潮中，稀土的战略地位被推向了一个崭新的高度。其中，作为第三代稀土永磁材料的钕铁硼（NdFeB）磁性材料是制造高性能、轻量化、小型化永磁同步电机的核心，这种电机是目前主流电动汽车和混合动力汽车的动力来源。

　　与传统燃油车相比，一辆电动汽车的稀土用量高出许多。根据中国稀土行业协会数据，新能源汽车每辆纯电动车消耗钕铁硼5-10kg，每辆插电式混合动力汽车消耗 2-3kg。这些磁体提供的磁性能让电机实现当前水平的续航里程、动力性能和能源效率。

　　中国在全球稀土供应链中扮演的角色，已远远超越了单纯的“资源供应国”定位。根据美国地质调查局（USGS）公布数据显示，2022年全球稀土资源总储量约为1.3亿吨，其中中国储量为4400万吨，占比约33.8%。

　　尽管近年来美、澳等国重启稀土矿开采，但全球供应格局并未被根本撼动。摩根士丹利5月27日发布的分析报告显示，中国掌控着全球约65%的稀土开采产能。由于稀土的分离和提纯工艺复杂、技术门槛高且环境成本巨大，中国凭借多年的技术积累和产业规模，在稀土精炼领域更是占据了88%的市场份额。

　　这种压倒性优势使中国成为集开采、精炼、加工、应用为一体的产业核心枢纽。即使其他国家开采出稀土原矿，也大多需要运往中国进行精炼，才能获得可用的高纯度稀土材料。

　　在下游应用环节，中国同样是全球最大的高性能钕铁硼永磁体生产国，据长江有色金属网数据，我国钕铁硼生产量始终占据全球近七成份额，且就预测我国有望在今年实现市场份额突破85%。全球几乎所有重要的汽车制造商，都直接或间接地从中国采购永磁电机或其核心磁体部件。

　　这也正是当今年4月4日，美国总统特朗普对华加征畸高关税后，中方迅速出手反制，对特定高纯度稀土化合物及相关合金材料的出口实行更为严格的配额管理和技术审核标准后，整个全球汽车行业集体焦虑的根本原因。

　　稀土短缺或致汽车产量骤降

　　与2010年中日稀土争端时的全面限制不同，此次管控更具针对性。新政主要针对六种中重稀土元素（钐、钆、铽、镝、镥、钪）以及钕铁硼（NdFeB）永磁材料。出口商需获得商务部颁发的许可证，并提交详细的最终用户和最终用途说明。

　　通过选择性地管控高附加值稀土产品，中国正清晰地向国际社会展示其在关键资源领域的控制力。供应链危机正在全球蔓延。铃木汽车生产线的停滞，仅仅是全球供应链危机浮出水面的冰山一角。

　　美国汽车行业组织“汽车创新联盟”在5月向特朗普政府发出紧急警告，指出由于中国稀土磁铁供应短缺，美国汽车工业可能在数周内面临停产风险。该联盟代表了通用、丰田、大众、现代等主流车企。

　　6月4日，欧洲汽车零部件供应商协会CLEPA透露，由于中国稀土出口限制导致的供应短缺，多家欧洲汽车零部件供应商的工厂和生产线已暂停运营，并警告可能出现进一步的供应中断。

　　梅赛德斯-奔驰生产负责人Jörg Burzer近日表示，为应对稀土短缺问题，该公司正与供应商保持“持续对话”，并在考虑储备关键零部件。与此同时，宝马也承认其部分供应链已受到影响。该公司正积极监控风险，并与供应商协调以避免重大影响。尽管奔驰和宝马等汽车制造商并不直接采购稀土金属，但它们的一级供应商会使用这些材料，这使车企也面临更广泛的供应链冲击风险。

　　据外国媒体报道，从东京到华盛顿，中方的出口管制在各国的企业董事会和政府层面引发强烈震动，官员们正紧急寻找有限的替代方案，担忧新车等产品的生产可能在今年夏末前陷入停滞。来自印度、日本和欧洲的外交官、汽车制造商及其他行业高管，正紧急寻求与中方官员会晤，以推动加快稀土磁铁的出口审批。

　　中国欧盟商会秘书长Adam Dunnett向路透社表示，这对汽车和电子行业来说是一个极其紧迫和关键的时刻，部分企业可能在本周内就不得不停产。此外，欧盟及日本驻华机构尚未对置评请求作出回应。

　　车企加速寻找替代方案

　　供应短缺已引发价格剧烈波动。据Nikkei Asia报道，截至5月1日，欧洲镝价已自4月初以来上涨两倍，达到每公斤850美元（约6180.6元人民币）。铽价则从每公斤965美元（约7016.9元人民币）上涨至3000美元（约21814.1元人民币），累计涨幅超210%。

　　但显然，这场新政尚未有任何停止迹象。6月7日，中国商务部新闻发言人在接受相关问题提问时表示，中国依法对稀土相关物项实施出口管制，目的是更好维护国家安全和利益，履行防扩散等国际义务，体现了坚持维护世界和平与地区稳定的一贯立场。中方愿就此进一步加强与相关国家的出口管制沟通对话，促进便利合规贸易。

　　无不是在告诉众人，这一次调整并非权宜之计，中国正从过去单纯的“资源开采者”角色，向“战略守护者”和“产业引领者”转变。

　　在这一过程中，美国政府为了减少对中国的稀土依赖，正通过国防部的资金支持，推动 MP Materials 和莱纳斯等公司在美建设稀土加工设施；印度政府希望发展本土稀土磁体制造能力，目前正与多家企业进行磋商，计划通过提供财政激励措施推动印度本土生产，以建立稀土磁体的长期储备。

　　然而，正如前文所述，长远之计难以解决眼前之急，尤其要追上中国在稀土精炼技术上的领先地位，绝非短期所能达成。

　　在这一“新常态”下，全球汽车制造商需制定一套多层次、长周期的复合应对方案，而非寻求单一的“灵丹妙药”。

　　当前，汽车制造商面临两大抉择。第一条便是在中国以外的地区扶持新的稀土精炼和永磁体生产能力。例如，3月17日，负责保障日本矿产和能源安全的日本金属矿业事业团（JOGMEC）以及天然气公司岩谷产业（Iwatani）表示，将对法国的一个稀土精炼项目投资1.1亿欧元（合1.2亿美元），以实现稀土采购的多元化。

　　另外一个选择便是考虑在中国工厂生产电机，或将美国本土制造的电机运至中国进行磁铁组装。正如一家车企的供应链经理坦言：“如果你想从中国出口磁铁，会被拦下来。但如果你能证明磁铁已经被装配在中国制造的电机里，那就能顺利通关”。

　　当然，回归不使用稀土磁铁的老式电动机技术，或取消使用多个微型电机的高端功能，如可调节座椅和高端扬声器系统，也不失为一种方案。

　　业界广泛认同，中国对稀土政策的调整并非临时措施，而是深思熟虑后的长远规划，意在重新塑造全球产业链的版图。在这一“新常态”下，全球汽车制造商需要制定多层次、长周期的复合应对方案。

　　去稀土化成汽车战略制高点

　　事实上，想要摆脱中国对稀土资源的控制，各国汽车零部件企业早有准备。

　　早在2023年3月，特斯拉率先宣布下一代永磁电机将不再使用稀土材料。这之后的半年多里，业内企业布局无稀土电机的脚步不断加快。

　　举例来说，雷诺集团正致力于开发第三代无稀土电机“E7A”，目前该电机仍处于原型测试阶段，预计将于2027年正式投入批量生产。通用汽车和Stellantis也正计划开发新一代无稀土永磁电机；梅赛德斯下一代MMA EV平台的目标则是完全弃用重稀土。不仅如此，产业链相关企业亦在积极规划产品路线。

　　紧接着，日本企业Proterial（前身为日立金属）成功研发出不依赖稀土元素钕的永磁电机，并预定在2035年前推向商用市场。采埃孚也开发出了一种零稀土无磁电机“2SM”。英国一家初创公司Advanced Electric Machines筹集到了2300万英镑，后续将用于不含稀土和铜的车用电机的扩产。据悉，这款电机实现了100%的可回收性。

　　越来越多的证据表明，跨国公司对无稀土电机的关注度日益提高。

　　彼时，追捧“无稀土”电机的核心原因相较于供应链安全更多仍在于高效且低价的特性。早些时候，极氪电驱电机开发专家徐津就提到，永磁同步电机中重稀土（铽、镝等9种元素）的成本占比较高，永磁体的成本约占电机总成本的30%，而重稀土材料的成本占永磁材料成本的30%~50%。也就是说，仅重稀土就占到单电机成本的10%~15%。

　　同时也有业内人士分析，电机磁钢的成本与功率密切相关，以最大功率170千瓦，扭矩310牛·米，转速16000转/分钟的磁钢来说，其成本大约是1000元的一个水平。

　　因此，减少稀土的使用量，或是寻找价格更为低廉的替代材料，已成为行业内降低成本的重要途径之一。

　　而如今，叠加降本增效与供应链安全多重压力，全球相关汽车企业必须全面提速实现无稀土电机和无钴固态电池技术的研发。也正因此，一家专注研发一种全新架构的无稀土轮毂电机技术的美国硅谷初创企业，在近日完成了2000万美元的种子轮融资。

　　与此同时，现有产品的回收利用也日益重要，Redwood Materials等公司正从废旧电池中回收稀土元素。

　　然而，不可否认的是，尽管已有诸多努力，但目前市场上仍未出现成熟且大规模应用的无稀土电机，其能否真正取代现有技术，仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。

　　毫无疑问，稀土功能材料已经成为全球竞争的焦点之一，欧美及日本等国家和地区将稀土元素列入“21 世纪的战略元素”，进行战略储备和重点研究，我国也在《中国制造 2025》等中长期发展规划中将稀土功能材料列为关键战略材料予以重点发展。可以说，这不仅是车企之间的较量，更是国与国之间的又一个关键赛点。

On June 6, 2025, Suzuki Motor Corporation announced that due to the delayed delivery of rare earth material components from China, some of its automotive production lines located in Japan will temporarily cease operations. The company statement pointed out that the shortage of parts is mainly used for automotive electronic systems and engine components, which directly affects production plans.

This seemingly insignificant announcement of supply chain disruption has quietly opened the prelude to a new round of supply chain crisis in the global automotive industry.

In the same week that Suzuki announced the suspension of production, Ford Motor Company in the United States also suspended the production of the Ford Explorer model at its Chicago factory due to rare earth supply shortages. Multiple multinational car companies, including Toyota, Volkswagen, and BMW, are urgently investigating supply chain risks and assessing how far they are from stopping production.

The invisible gateway to the global automotive industry chain

Rare earth "is not the literal meaning of" rare soil ", but a general term for the 17 metal elements in the periodic table. They are precious not only because of their relatively scarce reserves, but also because of their unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties, which magically endow modern technological products with "superpowers". Therefore, it is also known as the "industrial vitamin" and widely used in fields such as automobiles, 3C, luggage and toys, ceramics, audio, automobiles and EVs, electric bicycles, wind power, etc.

In the automotive industry, rare earth elements are indispensable for polishing agents for car windows, catalysts for exhaust purification, and various sensors. Especially in the wave of electrification in the automotive industry, the strategic position of rare earths has been pushed to a new height. Among them, neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) magnetic material, as the third-generation rare earth permanent magnet material, is the core of manufacturing high-performance, lightweight, and miniaturized permanent magnet synchronous motors. This type of motor is currently the power source for mainstream electric and hybrid vehicles.

Compared to traditional fuel vehicles, an electric car requires a much higher amount of rare earth elements. According to data from the China Rare Earth Industry Association, each pure electric vehicle of new energy vehicles consumes 5-10kg of neodymium iron boron, and each plug-in hybrid vehicle consumes 2-3kg. The magnetic properties provided by these magnets enable the motor to achieve current levels of range, power performance, and energy efficiency.

China's role in the global rare earth supply chain has far exceeded its simple positioning as a "resource supplier". According to data released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the total global rare earth resource reserves in 2022 are approximately 130 million tons, of which China's reserves are 44 million tons, accounting for about 33.8%.

Although countries such as the United States and Australia have restarted rare earth mining in recent years, the global supply pattern has not been fundamentally shaken. According to an analysis report released by Morgan Stanley on May 27th, China controls approximately 65% of the world's rare earth mining capacity. Due to the complex separation and purification processes, high technical barriers, and huge environmental costs of rare earths, China has gained 88% market share in the field of rare earth refining through years of technological accumulation and industrial scale.

This overwhelming advantage has made China a core hub for industries that integrate mining, refining, processing, and application. Even if other countries extract rare earth raw materials, most of them need to be transported to China for refining in order to obtain usable high-purity rare earth materials.

In the downstream application sector, China is also the world's largest producer of high-performance neodymium iron boron permanent magnets. According to data from Changjiang Nonferrous Metals Network, China's neodymium iron boron production has always accounted for nearly 70% of the global market share, and it is predicted that China is expected to achieve a market share of over 85% this year. Almost all major automobile manufacturers worldwide directly or indirectly purchase permanent magnet motors or their core magnet components from China.

This is also the fundamental reason for the collective anxiety of the entire global automotive industry after US President Trump imposed extremely high tariffs on China on April 4th this year, and China quickly took countermeasures by implementing stricter quota management and technical audit standards for the export of specific high-purity rare earth compounds and related alloy materials.

Rare earth shortage may lead to a sharp decline in automobile production

Unlike the comprehensive restrictions during the 2010 Sino Japanese rare earth dispute, this control is more targeted. The new policy mainly targets six types of medium to heavy rare earth elements (samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium) and neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) permanent magnet materials. Exporters need to obtain a license issued by the Ministry of Commerce and submit detailed end-user and end use descriptions.

By selectively controlling high value-added rare earth products, China is clearly demonstrating its control over key resource areas to the international community. The supply chain crisis is spreading globally. The stagnation of Suzuki's production line is just the tip of the iceberg of the global supply chain crisis.

The American automotive industry organization, the Automotive Innovation Alliance, issued an urgent warning to the Trump administration in May, stating that due to a shortage of rare earth magnets supply from China, the US automotive industry may face the risk of production stoppage within weeks. This alliance represents mainstream car companies such as General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Hyundai.

On June 4th, the European Association of Automotive Parts Suppliers (CLEPA) revealed that several European automotive parts suppliers' factories and production lines have suspended operations due to supply shortages caused by China's rare earth export restrictions, and warned of potential further supply disruptions.
Image source: Mercedes Benz Group Image source: Mercedes Benz Group

Mercedes Benz production manager J ö rg Burzer recently stated that the company is maintaining "ongoing dialogue" with suppliers and considering stocking up on key components to address rare earth shortages. At the same time, BMW also acknowledges that some of its supply chains have been affected. The company is actively monitoring risks and coordinating with suppliers to avoid significant impacts. Although car manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz and BMW do not directly purchase rare earth metals, their primary suppliers will use these materials, which puts car companies at greater risk of supply chain shocks.

According to foreign media reports, China's export controls from Tokyo to Washington have caused a strong shock at the corporate board and government levels in various countries. Officials are urgently seeking limited alternative solutions, fearing that the production of new cars and other products may come to a halt before the end of this summer. Diplomats, car manufacturers, and other industry executives from India, Japan, and Europe are urgently seeking to meet with Chinese officials to expedite the export approval of rare earth magnets.

Adam Dunnett, Secretary General of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, told Reuters that this is an extremely urgent and critical moment for the automotive and electronics industries, and some companies may have to shut down production within this week. In addition, EU and Japanese institutions in China have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Car companies accelerate search for alternative solutions

The shortage of supply has caused severe price fluctuations. According to Nikkei Asia, as of May 1st, the price of dysprosium in Europe has doubled since early April, reaching $850 per kilogram (approximately 6180.6 RMB). The price of terbium has risen from 965 US dollars (about 7016.9 yuan) per kilogram to 3000 US dollars (about 21814.1 yuan), with a cumulative increase of over 210%.

But obviously, there are no signs of this new policy stopping. On June 7th, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated in response to relevant questions that China has implemented export controls on rare earth related items in accordance with the law, with the aim of better safeguarding national security and interests, fulfilling international obligations such as non-proliferation, and reflecting its consistent stance of upholding world peace and regional stability. China is willing to further strengthen communication and dialogue with relevant countries on export control, and promote the facilitation of compliant trade.

Wu is telling everyone that this adjustment is not a temporary solution, and China is transforming from a simple "resource miner" role in the past to a "strategic guardian" and "industry leader".

In this process, the US government is promoting the construction of rare earth processing facilities in the United States by companies such as MP Materials and Linus through funding support from the Department of Defense in order to reduce its dependence on China; The Indian government hopes to develop local rare earth magnet manufacturing capabilities and is currently in negotiations with multiple companies to provide financial incentives to promote local production in India, in order to establish long-term reserves of rare earth magnets.

However, as mentioned earlier, a long-term solution is difficult to solve the immediate problem, especially to catch up with China's leading position in rare earth refining technology, which cannot be achieved in the short term.

In this' new normal ', global car manufacturers need to develop a multi-level, long-term composite response plan, rather than seeking a single' panacea '.

Currently, car manufacturers are facing two major choices. The first point is to support new rare earth refining and permanent magnet production capacity outside of China. For example, on March 17th, the Japan Metal Mining Corporation (JOGMEC) responsible for ensuring Japan's mineral and energy security, as well as the natural gas company Iwatani, announced an investment of 110 million euros ($120 million) in a rare earth refining project in France to diversify rare earth procurement.
Image source: Caremag Image source: Caremag

Another option is to consider producing motors in Chinese factories or shipping domestically manufactured motors from the United States to China for magnet assembly. As a supply chain manager of a car company admitted, "If you want to export magnets from China, you will be stopped. But if you can prove that the magnets have been assembled into motors made in China, then you can pass the customs smoothly.

Of course, returning to the old-fashioned electric motor technology that does not use rare earth magnets, or eliminating high-end features that use multiple micro motors, such as adjustable seats and high-end speaker systems, is also a solution.

The industry widely agrees that China's adjustment of rare earth policies is not a temporary measure, but a long-term plan after careful consideration, aimed at reshaping the global industrial chain. Under this' new normal ', global car manufacturers need to develop multi-level, long-term composite response plans.

Go to the strategic high ground of rare earth transformation into automobiles

In fact, in order to break free from China's control over rare earth resources, automotive parts companies in various countries have long been prepared.

As early as March 2023, Tesla announced that the next generation of permanent magnet motors would no longer use rare earth materials. In the following six months, the pace of industry enterprises laying out rare earth free motors continued to accelerate.

For example, Renault Group is working on developing the third-generation rare earth free motor "E7A", which is still in the prototype testing stage and is expected to enter mass production in 2027. General Motors and Stellantis are also planning to develop a new generation of rare earth free permanent magnet motors; The goal of Mercedes' next generation MMA EV platform is to completely abandon heavy rare earths. Moreover, companies related to the industrial chain are actively planning their product routes.

Subsequently, Japanese company Proterial (formerly known as Hitachi Metals) successfully developed a permanent magnet motor that does not rely on rare earth element neodymium and is scheduled to be launched on the commercial market before 2035. ZF has also developed a zero rare earth non-magnetic motor called "2SM". Advanced Electric Machines, a start-up company in the UK, has raised £ 23 million, which will be used to expand the production of automotive motors without rare earths and copper. It is reported that this motor has achieved 100% recyclability.

More and more evidence indicates that multinational corporations are increasingly paying attention to rare earth free motors.

At that time, the core reason for pursuing "rare earth free" motors was still more about their high efficiency and low price compared to supply chain safety. Earlier, Xu Jin, an expert in the development of extreme krypton electric drive motors, mentioned that the cost of heavy rare earths (nine elements including terbium and dysprosium) in permanent magnet synchronous motors is relatively high. The cost of permanent magnets accounts for about 30% of the total cost of the motor, while the cost of heavy rare earth materials accounts for 30% to 50% of the cost of permanent magnet materials. That is to say, heavy rare earths alone account for 10% to 15% of the cost of a single motor.

At the same time, industry insiders have analyzed that the cost of motor magnets is closely related to power. For magnets with a maximum power of 170 kilowatts, torque of 310 Newton meters, and a speed of 16000 revolutions per minute, the cost is approximately 1000 yuan.

Therefore, reducing the use of rare earths or finding cheaper alternative materials has become one of the important ways to reduce costs in the industry.

Nowadays, with the multiple pressures of cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and supply chain security, global automotive companies must comprehensively accelerate the research and development of rare earth free motors and cobalt free solid-state battery technologies. As a result, a Silicon Valley startup focused on developing a new architecture for rare earth wheel hub motor technology has recently completed a seed round financing of $20 million.

At the same time, the recycling of existing products is becoming increasingly important, and companies such as Redwood Materials are recovering rare earth elements from used batteries.

However, it cannot be denied that despite many efforts, there is still no mature and large-scale application of rare earth free motors on the market. Whether they can truly replace existing technologies remains an unresolved issue.

Undoubtedly, rare earth functional materials have become one of the focal points of global competition. Countries and regions such as Europe, America, and Japan have listed rare earth elements as "strategic elements of the 21st century" for strategic reserves and key research. China has also listed rare earth functional materials as key strategic materials for key development in its medium and long-term development plans such as "Made in China 2025". It can be said that this is not only a competition between car companies, but also another key point of competition between countries.