Overview

• MOFCOM now requires permits to export know‑how and equipment for mining, processing, magnet manufacturing, recycling, and the assembly, maintenance, repair, and upgrading of production lines, with some rules taking effect immediately.
• Licenses for foreign militaries will in principle be denied, and applications tied to advanced semiconductor uses will face strict case‑by‑case scrutiny.
• Controls reach products made outside China that contain Chinese rare earths or used Chinese processing, with firms needing Chinese approval for such exports and, in many cases, when the Chinese content accounts for as little as 0.1% of value starting December 1.
• Unauthorized cooperation with foreign entities is prohibited and Chinese nationals are barred from providing substantial assistance to overseas rare‑earth extraction and processing without permission.
• Beijing expanded the controlled list to additional rare earths and superhard materials such as holmium, while industry groups report license bottlenecks, price pressures, and production risks ahead of an expected Xi–Trump meeting.