China rare earth exports: 4,270 tonnes in September, faster EU licences

THURSDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2026

In September China exported 4,269.8 tonnes of rare earths, 6.7% more than a year earlier, and promises faster licences for Europe: the date to watch is 10 November.

China rare earth exports rose to 4,269.8 tonnes in September, 6.7% more than a year earlier, and on 15 October Beijing said it wants to keep easing export licences for the European Union. The date to watch is 10 November, when the suspension of six control measures adopted in October 2025 expires.

What Beijing said about licences for Europe

The statement came from He Yadong, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, at the weekly press conference. According to the Xinhua news agency, China is willing to keep facilitating the approval of rare earth export licences to Europe and asks the EU in return to facilitate, on a reciprocal basis, some key licence cases for dual-use goods bound for China. Both sides will use the export control dialogue mechanism already in place.

The remark follows the second meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism, which closed in Beijing with a list of 16 shared understandings, and comes as European leaders meet in Brussels on 15 and 16 October. The next steps announced are a ministerial video meeting in January and the third meeting of the mechanism in March 2027.

China rare earth exports: the September data

The volumes released by China's General Administration of Customs on 14 October cover rare earth exports to all countries, measured in tonnes:

• Rare earth exports, September 2026: 4,269.8 tonnes, up 6.7% from 4,000.3 tonnes in September 2025.
• Rare earth exports, August 2026: 4,735.1 tonnes, so September shows a 9.8% drop on the previous month.
• Cumulative exports January-September 2026: 43,711.2 tonnes, down 9.6% from 48,355.7 tonnes in the same period of 2025.
• Suspension of the six control measures of October 2025: in force from 7 November 2025 until 10 November 2026.

According to Reuters, the September increase reflects a recovery in overseas buying after the summer lull. Over nine months, however, volumes remain below 2025.

The 10 November deadline

On 9 October 2025 Beijing published six measures that widened export controls: superhard materials, equipment and auxiliary materials for rare earth processing, medium and heavy rare earths, lithium batteries and graphite anode material, products made abroad with Chinese rare earths, and technologies of the sector. With announcement no. 70 of 7 November 2025, the Ministry of Commerce and customs suspended them until 10 November 2026.

So far there is no official announcement of an extension. The 15 October statement concerns the handling of licences for Europe and says nothing about what will happen at the deadline: if the six measures came back into force, the range of goods requiring a licence would widen.

What the numbers say and what they don't

Tonnes exported measure the raw material as a whole, to all destinations. They do not say how much reaches Europe, nor how many permanent magnets, motors or finished components leave Chinese factories. A 6.7% annual increase therefore does not prove that supplies to Italy are flowing more smoothly.

Likewise, the willingness expressed by the ministry is a political commitment, not a change in the rules: licences are still required and are granted case by case. The picture points to a climate of dialogue, but with a precise date to keep in mind.

What it means for importers

Rare earths do not appear on the customs declarations of consumer goods importers, but they sit inside many products: the neodymium magnets in speakers, earbuds, portable fans, small appliances, cordless tools and small electric motors. For these categories it is worth acting on three points.

First, ask the supplier where the magnets in the components come from and whether it has faced licence delays in 2026. Second, for orders delivering after 10 November, plan a minimum buffer stock or more cautious shipping dates, at least until it is clear whether the suspension will be renewed. Third, add a contract clause stating who bears delays caused by new export licences.

With La Merce, importers of Chinese products containing magnets or electric motors check the status of licences with the supplier before the 10 November deadline and plan year-end shipments without relying on an extension that has not yet been announced.

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