According to the data released today by China’s General Administration of Customs, the export volume of rare earths increased by 32.02% in June compared to May, and rose by 60.34% year-on-year.
In the first half of 2025, exports increased by 11.9% compared to the same period in 2024, despite the value of these sales declining by 24.4%, according to customs reports.
The preliminary data released today do not detail the exports by element nor indicate the countries of destination, presenting only the total aggregate.
Since April 2, in the context of the trade war with the United States, China has implemented a new licensing regime that requires foreign companies to seek authorization to export seven of the 17 minerals that make up the rare earth group—namely samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—as well as derivative magnets, citing national security reasons.
The introduction of these restrictions caused a sharp decline in exports in April (-15.56%), but in May sales recovered with a monthly increase of 22.57%, even surpassing the levels of March.
The controls have a significant impact on sectors highly dependent on these materials, as China was responsible for 99% of global processing of heavy rare earths in 2024 and holds about 49% of the world’s reserves.
The promise to accelerate the issuance of licenses is part of the commitments made by Beijing in an agreement reached during the latest round of trade negotiations with the United States, held just over a month ago in London.
At the time, Chinese authorities committed to “review and approve” requests for the export of restricted goods, in an apparent reference to rare earths—which have been a major point of tension between the two powers and even threatened the continuity of a 90-day trade truce initiated in mid-May.
