Beijing will postpone the implementation of measures announced in October, but leave other measures untouched.
China has officially suspended its expanded export controls on rare earths and other critical minerals announced on October 9, confirming earlier reports of a limited easing of restrictions but stopping short of the broader rollback the White House had suggested. According to a statement released Friday by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the suspension, effective immediately and valid through November 10, 2026, applies to a range of measures introduced in October, including tighter curbs on rare earth materials and equipment, lithium battery inputs, and super-hard materials.
The move formalizes an agreement reached last month between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (we reported). However, the Chinese announcement confirms only a one-year suspension of the most recent rules. Earlier restrictions, including those imposed in August 2023 on gallium and germanium, in April 2025 on dysprosium, terbium, and other rare earth elements, and other previously tightened export requirements, are not mentioned.
That stands in contrast to a White House fact sheet released last week, which claimed Beijing would issue broad “general licenses” covering exports of rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite, a measure that, according to Washington, would have effectively lifted multiple layers of controls in addition to the ones from October. Beijing’s statement made no mention of such licenses. Instead, MOFCOM’s version limits the easing strictly to the October 2025 measures, highlighting the gap between the two sides’ interpretations of the deal.
Photo: iStock/takenobu