Obchodní protekcionismus a nerostné suroviny

This bachelor’s thesis analyzes trade protectionism in the field of critical minerals in the context of current geo-economic rivalry. The thesis employs a comparative method and examines the approaches of three key global powers—the European Union, the United States, and the People’s Republic of China—during the period 2018–2025. The theoretical section defines the concepts of trade policy and protectionism and classifies tariff and non-tariff instruments, paying particular attention to the modern trend of shifting away from tariffs toward non-tariff trade barriers. The analytical section compares specific legislative and regulatory instruments: the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS Act, as well as China’s export restrictions on gallium, germanium, and graphite. The results of the analysis show that although each of the powers examined chooses a different strategy—the EU a path of defensive de-risking, the US offensive industrial policies with elements of decoupling, and China active export controls as a tool of geopolitical pressure—all three share a common trend, they prioritize strategic autonomy and national security over the principles of free trade. Protectionism in the field of mineral resources, therefore ceases to be just an economic policy and becomes a key tool in global power rivalry.