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By Nick Carey and Christina Amann LONDON/BERLIN (Reuters) -Global automakers are scouring the globe for crucial rare earths ahead of looming Chinese export controls, with executives worried they could lead to parts shortages and plant closures. Rare earth magnets power motors in car parts such as side mirrors, speakers, oil pumps, windshield wipers and fuel leakage and braking sensors. They play an even bigger role in EVs. While a U.S.-China deal diverted a supply threat, stockpiles were depleted by similar restrictions earlier this year, while Beijing has also made it harder to get export licenses. China has since dramatically expanded export curbs, with companies facing global supply shortages. Consultancy AlixPartners estimates China controls up to 70% of global rare-earths mining, 85% of refining capacity and about 90% of rare-earths metal alloy and magnet production.  The new Chinese export control list includes elements like ytterbium, holmium and europium, also used in making cars. "The situation is very tense," said Nadine Rajner, CEO of German metal-powder supplier NMD, adding customers want to source rare earths from anywhere but China. As part of efforts to counter Chinese dominance, on Monday President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony signed a critical minerals agreement that includes U.S. investments in rare earth mining projects in Australia. NMD's Rajner said that while there are plenty of rare earths available in countries like Sweden, they do not have the mines or refining capacity to make them usable. And for heavy rare earths, China controls 99.8% of global refining capacity, making alternative sources negligible. "We are pretty much sold out and have limited stocks," Rajner said.  Rare earths can be recycled from old cars, but that industry is in its infancy. Neutral, a Renault-backed company, currently recycles rare earths from 400,000 cars a year in France and has contracts with 15 brands in Europe. But "the challenge is scaling up these activities," said Neutral CEO Jean-Philippe Bahuaud.     'ALREADY BEEN DEPLETED' Even if Chinese suppliers can fulfil fresh orders before the November 8 export controls take effect, the journey by sea to Europe can take 45 days and the threat of a rare earth bottleneck is among several headaches facing the auto industry. China has also placed export restrictions on lithium-ion batteries and battery materials, triggering concerns over parts supplies for electric vehicles. And last week, an intellectual-property dispute between China and the Netherlands involving little-known Dutch chip-maker Nexperia, sparked fears of factory closures because it supplies a large amount of chips car parts and components. Automakers also face the challenge of U.S. tariffs and are expected to detail the costs in their third-quarter earnings.  But China's hold over the industry through its control of rare earths ranks among the thorniest problems. "They can shut us down in two months, the entire auto industry," said Ryan Grimm, Toyota Motor's North America group vice president of purchasing supplier development. Bruno Gahery, president for France, Benelux, West and South Europe at supplier Bosch, said he expected the autos industry to "overstock rare earths" ahead of the deadline. But an executive at a magnet supplier for Hyundai said that while it built inventories earlier this year, "most have already been depleted" and supplies are tight. Some Chinese rare earths exporters received a rush of orders from overseas clients immediately after new export controls were announced on October 9, three industry sources told Reuters. RARE EARTH FREE MOTORS  Automakers are taking steps to reduce their reliance. Some such as General Motors and major suppliers such as ZF and BorgWarner are developing EV motors with low-to-zero rare-earth content, while BMW and Renault have produced rare earth-free motors.  Monumo has used AI and deep-tech simulation to help clients cut rare earth content in motors already in production, which CEO Dominic Vergine said has led to an average reduction of 24% among the UK firm's customers, which include several of the world's top 10 carmakers, he said.  Automakers are also pushing hard to improve rare earth-free motors for the next generation of EVs. Yet most of those motors are years away, as are efforts to develop new rare earth mines and processing plants outside China, which Beijing can undermine by keeping prices low, industry experts say.  Experts say the U.S government is taking the threat far more seriously than Europe. Andy Leyland, co-founder of supply chain specialist SC Insights, said Beijing has focused on beating others on price and will continue to do so. "The Chinese can always undercut them," he said of efforts to develop rare-earth free motors, adding that faced with cheaper motors with rare earth magnets automakers may find it hard to justify more expensive components.  "So it's a really risky investment."  Meanwhile, China is expected to keep exerting its power over supplies of rare earths. "This is not the end of export controls," said Jan Giese, a senior manager at rare-earth trader Tradium.  (Reporting by Nick Carey and Christina Amann; additional reporting by Gilles Guillaume in Paris, Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Beijing Newsroom; editing by Mike Colias and Alexander Smith)

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By Tanay Dhumal (Reuters) -Halliburton beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit estimates on Tuesday, supported by steady North American oilfield activity and equipment demand, and said its cost-cutting measures are expected to save $400 million annually. The company's shares rose 5.4% in premarket trading, also aided by a partnership with VoltaGrid to provide distributed power solutions for data centers globally, starting in the Middle East. CEO Jeff Miller said Halliburton had "reset" its 2026 capital plan, idled underperforming equipment, and implemented cost-control measures that are expected to save $100 million per quarter. Last month, Reuters reported that Halliburton has been cutting jobs, as it navigates rising costs and a period of lower prices and volatility. Quarterly revenue from its North America segment was $2.4 billion, flat from a year earlier, but above analysts' average estimate of $2.17 billion. Halliburton said the results were supported by increased stimulation activity in U.S. land and Canada, and higher completion tool sales and increased wireline activity in the Gulf of America. While North American activity remains stable, international spending, long viewed as the next growth engine, is showing signs of uneven recovery, particularly in the Middle East. Halliburton reported an 8% drop in third-quarter revenue year-over-year in Middle East/Asia. Last week, peer SLB also beat expectations on stable North America demand, but flagged that it does not expect to see a significant pickup in the region's drilling activity. In July, the company said its international revenue in 2025 is expected to contract by mid-single digits from a year earlier, primarily due to less activity in Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Halliburton reported an adjusted profit of 58 cents per share for the quarter ended September 30, beating analysts' estimate of 50 cents, according to LSEG data. (Reporting by Tanay Dhumal in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Sriraj Kalluvila)

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By Anmol Choubey (Reuters) -Goldman Sachs flagged mounting risks to global supply chains of rare earths and other critical minerals, emphasising China's dominance in mining and refining, and outlining challenges for nations seeking to build independent supply chains. China expanded export curbs on rare earths on October 9, adding five new elements and extra scrutiny for semiconductor users ahead of an expected summit of leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. CHINA'S SUPPLY CHAIN LEVERAGE In a note on Monday, Goldman Sachs said China controls 69% of global rare earth mining, 92% of refining, and 98% of magnet manufacturing. Rare earth elements (REEs) have become a flashpoint in geopolitics, as they are critical to high-tech industries and essential in uses from batteries to computer chips, artificial intelligence, and defence equipment. While the rare earth market was valued at $6 billion last year, just a fraction the size of the copper market, which is 33 times bigger, the bank warned that a disruption of 10% in industries reliant on REEs could result in $150 billion in lost economic output, besides inflationary pressures fed by the shortages. MINERALS COULD FACE EXPORT CURBS Goldman Sachs flagged samarium, graphite, lutetium, and terbium as particularly vulnerable to export curbs. Samarium, used in heat-resistant samarium-cobalt magnets, is key for aerospace and defense. Disruptions in supply of widely-used lutetium and terbium also pose risks of GDP losses. The bank highlighted light rare earths, such as cerium and lanthanum, as future targets for curbs, since China has a dominant role in refining and mining. Western producers like Lynas Rare Earths and Solvay could ease shortages, it added, but reliance on China remains substantial. CHALLENGES TO INDEPENDENT SUPPLY CHAINS Countries are scrambling to build independent REE and magnet supply chains, but Goldman Sachs saw barriers from geological scarcity to technological complexity and environmental challenges. It said heavy rare earth elements were particularly scarce outside China and Myanmar, with most known deposits being small, lower-grade, or radioactive, while developing new mines requires eight to 10 years. Refining REEs requires advanced expertise and infrastructure, with builds typically taking five years, the bank said. Additionally, magnet production outside China, though expanding in the U.S., Japan, and Germany, faces constraints because of China's control of critical inputs such as samarium. INVESTMENT AND COMMODITY RISKS Goldman Sachs suggested equities as a way for investors to manage rare earth disruption risks, citing Iluka Resources, Lynas Rare Earths, and MP Materials Corp as key players. The bank forecast a deficit in supplies of Neodymium-Praseodymium Oxide (NdPrO), critical for making magnets, Beyond rare earths, Goldman Sachs warned that commodities such as cobalt, oil, and natural gas faced rising risks of supply disruptions due to geopolitical tension. (Reporting by Anmol Choubey in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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