Two paths towards resilience: EU and US strategies to combat raw materials dependency on China

This thesis investigates why the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have adopted divergent strategies to address their dependencies on China for critical raw materials (CRM). Despite facing similar levels of exposure and global supply chain vulnerabilities, the two actors have implemented different policies in terms of strategic focus and policy instruments. This thesis examines how institutional factors influence policy choices. It applies a historical institutionalist framework, drawing on concepts such as path dependency and division of competences. Through structured process tracing and a qualitative comparative analysis of EU and US strategic minerals strategies from 2008 to 2024, the research demonstrates that the EU has favored regulatory coordination, external partnerships, and innovation-driven resilience, while the US has relied more on direct financial interventions, national stockpiling, and production mandates. The findings contribute to scholarship on...Show moreThis thesis investigates why the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) have adopted divergent strategies to address their dependencies on China for critical raw materials (CRM). Despite facing similar levels of exposure and global supply chain vulnerabilities, the two actors have implemented different policies in terms of strategic focus and policy instruments. This thesis examines how institutional factors influence policy choices. It applies a historical institutionalist framework, drawing on concepts such as path dependency and division of competences. Through structured process tracing and a qualitative comparative analysis of EU and US strategic minerals strategies from 2008 to 2024, the research demonstrates that the EU has favored regulatory coordination, external partnerships, and innovation-driven resilience, while the US has relied more on direct financial interventions, national stockpiling, and production mandates. The findings contribute to scholarship on public policy by highlighting the explanatory power of institutional constraints in shaping industrial and trade responses to resource dependency. This thesis also informs ongoing debates on strategic autonomy, de- risking from China, and the future governance of CRM supply chains.Show less

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Two paths towards resilience: EU and US strategies to combat raw materials dependency on China