Japan parts maker ships rare-earth-free sunroof motors for German cars

CompaniesMitsuba cuts out neodymium amid industry shift to avoid price swings, supply risksThe new motor no longer needs the neodymium contained in earlier versions. (Mitsuba)KANTARO FUSHIKIJuly 31, 2026 03:53 JSTTOKYO -- Japanese automotive parts maker Mitsuba has begun shipping sunroof motors that contain no rare-earth elements to German luxury automakers, the company said Thursday.Read NextCommoditiesJapan extracts rare earths from seabed: 3 things to knowSupply ChainJapan's Toyota Tsusho seeks to strike gold with rare metal recyclingSupply ChainChina rare earth export curbs have opened up a huge price gapOpinionDiplomacy shifts faster than clean energy supply chains can be builtJapan-China tensionsChina detains 2 Japanese over alleged rare-earth export control breachInternational relat