The outbound shipments rose to approximately 7.34 tons last month, marking the highest value in the historical series, based on calculations from Chinese customs data.
The products include high-performance magnets used in consumer goods and combat aircraft.
The figures emerge in the same week Beijing and Washington conducted a new round of trade negotiations in Madrid, ahead of the anticipated phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Since April 2, amid the tariff escalation with the U.S., Beijing has required export licenses for seven of the 17 rare earth minerals—samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—and their respective magnets, citing national security reasons.
The measure led to a sharp decline in exports, which only recovered after an agreement in June during a round of talks in London, where China committed to streamline license issuance.
Despite the recovery, these materials—also essential for industries such as aeronautics—remain at the heart of the dispute due to the risk of supply disruptions and the potential for Washington to impose new tariffs if access to its industries is not ensured.
