• Hall 8 at Materials Week Europe exposes the global magnet supply chain divide: European firms dominate powder processing equipment (33% of exhibitors), while Chinese companies control finished NdFeB magnet production (22% of exhibitors), with strategic U.S. presence rebuilding domestic rare earth capacity.
• Geopolitical risk analysis reveals China-based magnet manufacturers (JL MAG, CJ Magnet, YLS Magnet, Poly Magnet) maintain high supply chain exposure, while Western equipment suppliers and testing firms show low dependency, positioning Europe as the engineering backbone and China as the production powerhouse.
• The magnet race is won not at the mine but in processing infrastructure: grinding mills, compaction presses, sintering furnaces, and magnetization systems remain the strategic battleground, with USA Rare Earth and Current Chemicals leading America's de-risking strategy against Chinese dominance.

This Rare Earth Exchanges™ analysis evaluates Magnetics exhibitors (opens in a new tab) in Hall 8 at Materials Week Europe (RAI Amsterdam, Feb 24–26, 2026 (opens in a new tab)), breaking down company focus, country of headquarters, China-linked exposure, and geopolitical risk positioning within the rare earth magnet value chain.

Executive Snapshot

Hall 8 at Materials Week Europe is a compressed version of the global magnet ecosystem: upstream materials suppliers, powder-processing equipment manufacturers, magnet producers, testing and magnetization firms, and integrated supply chain players.

What stands out:

• European dominance in processing equipment
• Chinese dominance in finished magnet manufacturing
• Limited but strategic U.S. presence
• A clear industrial split between “machine builders” and “magnet makers.”

Below is a validated breakdown of key magnetics-focused exhibitors.

Magnetics & Rare Earth Value Chain Exhibitors

Company	HQ/Nation	Primary Focus	Value Chain Role	China Supply Chain Exposure
Hosokawa Alpine AG	Germany	Powder Processing	Grinding, classification for NdFeB powders	Low (equipment supplier)
DORST Technologies	Germany	Powder metallurgy presses	Sintered magnet compaction systems	Low
Osterwalder AG	Sweden	Isostatic presses	Powder compaction	Low
JL MAG Rare-Earth Co., Ltd.	China	NdFeB magnets	High-performance sintered magnets	High (China-based producer)
Magneti Ljubljana	Slovenia	Permanent magnets	Bonded & sintered magnet manufacturing	Moderate (EU producer, upstream exposure varies)
Tridelta Magnetsysteme GmbH	Germany	Magnet assemblies	Engineered magnetic systems	Moderate
CJ Magnet	China	Magnet manufacturing	NdFeB & ferrite magnets	High
YLS Magnet	China	NdFeB magnets	Magnet production	High
Poly Magnet	China	Permanent magnets	NdFeB magnet supplier	High
Magnetic Applications	UK	Magnetic Assemblies	Engineered systems	Moderate
Hirst Magnetic Instruments	UK	Magnet testing	Magnetic measurement systems	Low
Senis AG	Switzerland	Magnetic sensors	Field measurement	Low
Magcam NV	Belgium	Magnetic imaging	Field visualization & testing	Low
Metis Instruments	Belgium	Materials characterization	Magnetic/materials analysis	Low
USA Rare Earth	USA	Integrated REE strategy	Mine-to-magnet vertical integration	Low (explicitly de-risking China)
Current Chemicals	USA	Rare earth chemicals	Oxide & specialty RE compounds	Low
Argus Media	UK	Commodity intelligence	Rare earth price benchmarks	Neutral
Elkem ASA	Norway	Silicon materials	Advanced materials inputs	Low
Hexpol AB	Sweden	Polymer compounding	Elastomers & specialty compounds	Low

A) % of Exhibitors by Nation (Magnetics Segment)

Based on identified magnetics-focused exhibitors in Hall 8:

• Germany / DACH region (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) – ~33%
• China – ~22%
• United Kingdom – ~11%
• Belgium – ~11%
• United States – ~11%
• Nordics (Norway, Sweden)– ~11%
• Slovenia – ~6%

Observation:

Europe dominates processing and testing equipment.

China dominates finished magnet production.

The U.S. presence is strategic but limited in number.

B) China-Linked Supply Chain Exposure

High Exposure (China-based magnet manufacturers)

• JL MAG
• CJ Magnet
• YLS Magnet
• Poly Magnet

These firms represent vertically integrated Chinese magnet supply chains and are part of the broader 90% global magnet manufacturing dominance.

Moderate Exposure

• EU magnet assemblers are reliant on Chinese oxide or alloy imports
• Slovenian and UK magnet firms are depending on Chinese rare earth feedstock

Low Exposure

• Equipment manufacturers (Hosokawa Alpine, DORST, Osterwalder)
• Testing/instrumentation firms
• USA Rare Earth (explicit de-risk strategy)
• Current Chemicals (U.S.-based rare earth processor)

C) Geopolitical Risk Heat Map (By HQ Nation)

Country	Risk Level	Rationale
China	High	Export controls, geopolitical leverage, supply chain weaponization risk
Germany	Moderate	Industrial strength but exposed to upstream Chinese oxides
Switzerland	Moderate	Stable but export-driven economy
United Kingdom	Moderate	Limited domestic RE supply; depends on imports
Belgium	Low	Equipment/testing exposure; minimal upstream dependence
United States	Moderate (Improving)	Building domestic capacity; still oxide constrained
Norway / Sweden	Low	Stable jurisdictions; materials but not magnet-dominant
Slovenia	Moderate	EU magnet maker with external feedstock risk

Strategic Takeaways for Rare Earth Investors

1. Europe controls the “machines.”

Germany and Switzerland dominate powder metallurgy and pressing systems — the capital equipment backbone of magnet manufacturing. Although groups such as Gasbarre Products in the USA.

2. China still controls the “magnets.”

Finished NdFeB magnet producers remain heavily Chinese.

3. The West is rebuilding — but unevenly.

The U.S. presence is strategic (USA Rare Earth, Current Chemicals) but not yet numerically dominant. A handful of “mine-to-magnet” ecosystems in development (MP Materials, USA Rare Earth, ReElement Technologies/Vulcan, etc.).

4. Processing > Mining.

The show confirms what Rare Earth Exchanges has long emphasized: industrial advantage lies in powder preparation, compaction, sintering, magnetization, and testing — not merely resource extraction.

Final Analysis

Hall 8 is a snapshot of the global magnet chessboard:

• Europe = engineering depth
• China = production scale
• U.S. = strategic rebuilding
• Testing & instrumentation = Western strength
• Upstream oxide security = unresolved

The magnet race is not decided at the mine mouth.

It is decided in part in the grinding mills, compaction presses, oxygen-controlled furnaces, and magnetization systems.

And that race is accelerating.