Although overall exports rose throughout 2025, a closer look at the monthly data reveals pronounced volatility.
Despite export restrictions imposed in April, China’s rare earth exports reached a record high last year. In total, the world’s largest producer shipped 62,585 metric tons of rare earths abroad, an increase of nearly 13 percent compared with 2024, according to the latest data released on Wednesday by China’s General Administration of Customs. The last time China exported a comparable volume was in 2014, Reuters reported.
Over the past two years, China’s rare earth exports have been characterized by significant volatility.
On a monthly basis, exports declined sharply toward the end of the year. In December 2025, shipments fell 20 percent from November, totaling 4,392 metric tons. Year-on-year, however, export volumes were still 32 percent higher than in December 2024.
More detailed data on exports of the elements directly affected by export controls, such as terbium and dysprosium, will not be available until next week, when authorities release a more granular breakdown. The bulk of exports is likely to consist of less critical rare earths such as lanthanum and cerium. As a result, aggregate figures may mask potential supply bottlenecks for other, more strategically important elements within the group.
In April 2025, Beijing imposed strict export controls on seven rare-earth elements, as well as on numerous related compounds and downstream products, such as permanent magnets. The move was widely seen as a response to U.S. tariffs. Following the measures, exports initially collapsed but subsequently recovered gradually. Nevertheless, analysts caution that export patterns are likely to remain volatile and that a sustained stabilization should not be expected.
Rare earth elements are essential inputs for a wide range of industries, including consumer electronics, automotive manufacturing, energy infrastructure, and military technologies.
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