ISTANBUL

European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic said Tuesday that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao plans to visit Brussels “in the coming days” to discuss restrictions on rare earths.

Sefcovic said he invited "the Chinese authorities to come to Brussels in the coming days to find urgent solutions," during a news conference, the Euractiv news site reported.

Wang will fly to Brussels to discuss export restrictions on rare earths, he said.

On Oct. 10, China expanded its rare earth export restrictions to include the military use of the minerals, the first time it had taken the measure.

Sefcovic said he and Wang had a “constructive” two-hour call, during which Wang accepted his invitation.

China continues to dominate the global market in rare earths, producing more than 90% of the global supply, and other rare earths.

"I believe that after this morning’s conversation, we have no interest in escalation," said Sefcovic. "However, this situation casts a shadow over our relationship. Therefore, prompt resolution is essential," he added.

He said the meeting will be held under the new supply chain framework agreed to at a EU-China summit in Beijing in July to tackle critical mineral "bottlenecks."

"We agreed to intensify contacts at all levels," he added.​​​​​​​