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China

China Pauses Expanded Rare-Earth Export Controls, but Other Restrictions Remain

China’s pause covers specified expanded rare-earth export controls, not every restriction or military-technology rule. The US-China supply talks were still ongoing in September 2026.

By TheFinanceBase Team 3 min read
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China did not lift every rare-earth export restriction or broadly free up military-technology exports. It suspended specified controls announced in October 2025 until November 10, 2026. The pause did not remove earlier restrictions, and the US and China were still discussing rare-earth shipment levels when they extended their trade truce in September 2026.

What China suspended—and what it did not

On October 9, 2025, China announced expanded export controls covering rare-earth items and related technologies. In November, it suspended those specified measures for a year; a later official statement set November 10, 2026, as the suspension’s end date.

That is a time-limited suspension, not a permanent repeal. Nor does it mean that all licensing requirements disappeared. China’s official statement said eligible applications for civilian-use exports would be reviewed under the law and could be approved.

The distinction matters because China described the policy as export control, not a blanket ban. In remarks on October 13, 2025, a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said, “China’s export controls are not export bans.” That is the government’s characterization of its system; it does not establish that every shipment is permitted or that shipments have returned to normal.

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The pause also left earlier measures in place. The Associated Press reported in October 2025 that the agreement delayed the newly announced rules but did not eliminate restrictions introduced in spring 2025. That report does not provide a complete legal inventory of those earlier controls.

Are rare-earth exports to the US allowed again?

Some eligible civilian-use applications may be approved through China’s licensing process, according to the Chinese government. That is not the same as automatic approval for every product, buyer, destination, or end use. The available statements do not establish a current item-by-item list of all restrictions or authorize a particular shipment.

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There is also a difference between a policy change and a supply result. In September 2026, the US and China extended their trade truce by two months. AP reported that the sides were still working on US concerns about rare-earth supply and discussing a return to “appropriate levels” of shipments. The report does not define a shipment baseline or show that supply had reached one.

Does the trade reset include military technology?

It does not establish that military-technology exports are now broadly unrestricted. China’s October 2025 announcement connected medium and heavy rare earths with military uses and covered related items and technologies. That connection is narrower than a claim that China lifted a general set of military-technology export controls.

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China’s Export Control Law, effective December 1, 2020, covers dual-use items, military products, nuclear items, and associated goods, technologies, and services. Whether a particular transaction requires authorization depends on the applicable controls; the suspension of specified 2025 measures should not be read as a blanket clearance.

Why rare-earth controls matter to supply chains

Rare earths are used in products and industrial applications that depend on specialized materials and processing. AP’s 2025 explainer reported estimates that China accounted for nearly 70% of global rare-earth mining and roughly 90% of processing. Those figures are estimates reported by AP in 2025, not newly verified 2026 measurements, and the original statistical publisher is not identified here.

High concentration can make policy and licensing changes important to manufacturers, but it does not by itself show how much supply is available to a specific buyer or what a particular product will cost. The cited reporting establishes ongoing discussion about shipment levels, not a quantitative shipment series through October 4, 2026.

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What US companies should check for a specific shipment

China’s controls and US export rules are separate policy layers. A Chinese suspension does not change US licensing requirements. US government guidance directs exporters to classify products and review transaction-specific requirements based on the item, destination, end user, and end use, including restricted-party screening.

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  • Identify the item. Determine its export-control classification rather than relying only on a broad label such as “rare earth” or “magnet.”
  • Check the destination and parties. Review the applicable rules and screening lists for the destination, consignee, end user, and other parties to the transaction.
  • Assess the end use. Licensing requirements can turn on how an item will be used, including military or military-intelligence end uses under relevant US rules.
  • Verify the Chinese licensing position separately. Do not assume that the 2025 suspension waives controls that remain in force or guarantees approval of an application.

For an actual shipment, a general news report cannot resolve classification, licensing, or eligibility. The applicable rules and transaction details must be checked for that item and shipment.

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