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China Issues First Year-Long Rare-Earth Export Licences to Major Magnet Makers

The step offers limited relief by granting year-long permits to select magnet makers.

Overview

  • Approvals went to JL Mag Rare Earth, Ningbo Yunsheng, and Beijing Zhong Ke San Huan, with JL Mag licensed for nearly all clients and the others for some, according to a Reuters source.
  • The new general licences are tied to individual customers and are intended to speed exports after April’s per-shipment controls disrupted supplies, notably for auto magnets.
  • The permits add a streamlined track but do not replace China’s existing export-control system, and eligibility is currently confined to large domestic producers.
  • U.S. officials have portrayed the change as effectively ending rare-earth controls, while Beijing has offered scant public detail about any broader rollback.
  • Uncertainty remains over potential exclusions for defence, aerospace or semiconductor-linked buyers, and European firms continue to report delays and limited transparency.