Export controls on rare earths announced

China will impose export controls on a range of rare earth technologies, covering mining, smelting and the recycling of secondary resources, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday.

Approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the new measures mandate that overseas organizations and individuals must obtain a dual-use item export license from the ministry before shipping controlled items to destinations outside of China.

Effective immediately, the government has banned the unauthorized export of technologies, data and know-how, from mining and smelting to magnet production and recycling, including all technical services for production line assembly, maintenance and upgrading.

Rare earth-related items possess dual-use attributes, and the implementation of export controls on them is an internationally common practice, said a ministry spokesperson.

Hours later, the ministry and the General Administration of Customs issued four consecutive announcements, implementing export controls on items related to superhard materials, some rare earth equipment and raw and auxiliary materials, some medium and heavy rare earth items, and items related to lithium batteries and artificial graphite negative electrode materials.

Rare earths consist of 17 elements that are widely used in high-tech products ranging from smartphones and flat-screen televisions to wind turbines and fighter jets.

In April, China imposed export controls on these items for domestic organizations and individuals. However, some overseas entities and individuals have directly or indirectly transferred or supplied controlled items of Chinese origin — either in their original form or after processing — to relevant parties.

These actions have led to the direct or indirect use of such items in sensitive fields like the military, causing significant harm or posing potential threats to China's national security and interests, the ministry official said.

Furthermore, these activities have adversely affected international peace and stability and undermined global nonproliferation efforts, the spokesperson added.

The rules specify that export applications for end-uses involving the "research, development or production of logic chips at 14 nanometers or below, or storage chips with 256 layers or more", as well as for the manufacturing, testing equipment and materials for such advanced chips, will be subject to case-by-case approval.

The same rigorous, case-by-case approval will apply to exports intended for the research and development of artificial intelligence with potential military applications.

Analysts said that China's export controls on rare earths are in full compliance with international norms and global trade rules.

Ding Rijia, a professor of economics at China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, said: "These measures are also a necessary step to prevent the use of rare earths in weapons of mass destruction and for terrorist purposes."

Ding said that, despite these controls, China remains committed to international cooperation and maintains an open market for rare earths in civilian applications.

In the first eight months of 2025, China's cumulative rare earth exports reached 44,355 metric tons, up 14.5 percent year-on-year, the latest data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

Ying Pinguang, dean of Shanghai University of International Business and Economics' School of Global Governance, said that the increase in exports indicates that global demand for Chinese rare earths remains persistently strong.

Noting that many Western countries have developed their own control lists of critical minerals, Ying said it is critical for China to refine its rare earth export policies.

The latest export control measures will better regulate the management of China's strategic rare earth resources and bring its management of these strategic materials in line with global practices, he added.

The Ministry of Commerce said that China is willing to utilize multilateral and bilateral export control dialogue mechanisms to enhance communication and cooperation with all parties, facilitate compliant trade and safeguard the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

The ministry said that it is important to note that the scope of items subject to this control is limited. Furthermore, various licensing facilitation measures will be implemented.

The Chinese government will grant licenses for applications complying with the relevant regulations, it said, adding that exports intended for end-uses such as emergency medical care, public health emergency response, natural disaster relief and other forms of humanitarian assistance will be exempt from the licensing requirement.