Europe's auto parts suppliers suspend output due to China's rare earth curbs

Robotic arms on the Peugeot vehicle assembly line at the Stellantis NV auto plant in Sochaux, France, on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Stellantis is struggling with slowing and more competitive auto markets across Europe, where electric-vehicle demand is waning. Some European auto parts plants have suspended output and German carmaker BMW warned its supplier network was affected by shortages of rare earths, as concerns about the damage from China's restrictions on critical mineral exports deepen. China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets has upended the supply chains central to automakers,…