In September, only 4,000 tons of the critical raw materials were exported — 31 percent less than in August.
China’s exports of rare earths fell sharply again in September, dropping to 4,000 tons. Compared to August, this represents a 31 percent decline, Reuters reported, citing the country’s customs data. September marks the third consecutive month of falling exports following a peak in June.
China’s rare earth exports over recent months
Detailed information on the development of rare earth exports — broken down by product category — will be released next week.
Last Thursday, China announced a new set of export regulations affecting large parts of the rare earth value chain, including technologies used to process these materials. In addition, several rare earth elements were newly added to the country’s export control list. As recently as April, China had imposed export restrictions on seven of the 17 rare earth elements, causing exports of some of the affected materials to temporarily drop to zero.
Whether the newly announced regulations will have a similar impact remains to be seen in the coming months. The first measures are scheduled to take effect on November 8.
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