Overview

• China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a small number of export licenses for strategic rare earth elements and magnets to US firms, providing some relief to auto, electronics and defense manufacturers facing shortages.
• Manufacturers face slow license processing and a new online tracking system that has driven some to air-freight magnets at steep cost to avoid production halts.
• US and Chinese negotiators plan additional sessions in London to balance export easing with national security and geopolitical concerns over rare earth dependencies.
• The White House has proposed easing US chip export controls in exchange for faster rare earth shipments from China as part of broader technology negotiations.
• India is fast-tracking domestic rare earth processing through Indian Rare Earths Ltd and private partnerships to secure alternative supply chains.