China’s exports of rare earth magnets declined slightly in September following a strong rebound in the previous month. According to the latest data from Chinese customs authorities, total shipments reached 5,774 tons, down from 6,146 tons in August.
Germany was the largest recipient last month, importing 1,288 tons, followed by South Korea with 854 tons and Vietnam with 457 tons. All three countries are major automotive manufacturing hubs. Rare earth magnets are used not only in electric vehicle motors but also in conventional combustion engine vehicles, for example in window regulators and air conditioning systems.
Chinese rare earth magnet exports over the last months
Exports had temporarily fallen earlier this year after Beijing introduced export controls on certain rare earth elements and related products. Because many magnets contain regulated elements and customs codes do not differentiate between compositions, approval procedures for all rare earth magnets were delayed, leading to temporary fluctuations in export volumes.
Photo: iStock/xiao zhou