BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe faces shortages of 14 key raw materials used in making cell phones, solar power cells, batteries, and other electronics, according to a European Commission report released Thursday.
Demand for these critical metals and minerals could triple over the next 20 years, the report said.
This puts pressure on European nations to maintain strong trade relations with the primary exporters of those materials: China, Russia,the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Brazil.
The EU's executive commission says the raw materials named in the report could become scarce in Europe because only a handful of countries control their production and distribution.
The report could help the European Union in trade complaints against China or any other country that attempts to restrict exports of those materials.
