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4h ago

EU Rallies G7 Response as China Widens Rare‑Earth Export Controls

The new rules expose global reliance on China’s refining and magnet production.

In an aerial view, a container ship arrives at the Port of Oakland on October 10, 2025, in Oakland, California.
A sample of bastnaesite ore, a mineral used in the rare earth industry to extract elements such as cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium, is displayed at the Geological Museum of China in Beijing, China, October 14, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Image
Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China October 31, 2010. REUTERS/Stringer

Overview

  • Beijing expanded export controls to additional rare-earth elements, magnets, refining technologies and products containing at least 0.1% China‑origin rare earths.
  • EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic called the measures a critical concern and moved to coordinate a G7 response after talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a 100% tariff on Chinese imports from November 1 as Washington weighs countermeasures ahead of a planned Trump–Xi meeting later this month.
  • Export licensing has tightened since September, with Reuters sources citing longer reviews, a rush to ship before rules some expect on November 8, and official data showing a 31% drop in China’s rare-earth exports in September.
  • New certification requirements for light rare-earth magnets and limited testing capacity are delaying shipments, prompting manufacturers to seek alternatives as the U.S. accelerates projects with MP Materials and Lynas and fast-tracks permits.