China boosts rare-earth exports after US deal
China exported 13% more rare-earth products in November compared with the previous month, signaling that a more relaxed export regime is boosting the flow of critical minerals used in electric vehicles, weapons, and high-tech manufacturing.
According to Bloomberg calculations based on official customs data, 6,958 tons of rare-earth products — including magnets — were shipped in November, marking the third-highest monthly total on record, News.Az reports.
The increase suggests that China has accelerated shipments following a yearlong trade truce with the United States. Prior to the agreement between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, Beijing had planned to tighten export controls on rare earths, initially introduced in April amid a broader trade dispute with the US. These restrictions had caused exports to drop earlier this year.
Exports rebounded in July after Trump announced a framework for détente, which was finalized in October. August saw shipments reach a record 7,336 tons, and November’s total narrowed the year-to-date decline in exports to just 2%.
Beijing has approved some rare-earth export applications from Chinese companies, He Yadong, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said on Thursday in response to a question about exports to the EU. Earlier this week, the European Commission’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, made similar comments, saying China had recently begun granting licenses with lengthier terms to allow European companies to obtain rare-earth products.
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