What to know about China’s new regulations on rare earths

Bangkok – China has published new intermediate measures on Friday the tightening controls of mining and the treatment of rare earths which are used in many high -tech products, including electric vehicles, smartphones and fighter planes.

The rules published Friday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technologies apply to both rare earths from China and those sent to China for refining.

They demand that companies comply with quotas for various minerals. Companies must have the government’s approval to deal with rare earths and must accurately report the quantity of rare land products. Offenders will face legal sanctions and will also have their quotas for rare earths.

Here’s what you need to know.

The 17 elements of rare earths, including minerals such as germanium, gallium and titanium, are not really rare. But they are difficult to find in a concentration high enough to make the exploitation which is worth the investment. China has gradually tightened the restrictions on exporting these materials, partly in response to American controls on its access to American cutting -edge technology.

In April, just after the American president Donald Trump announced a raft of prices on dozens of American business partners, Beijing announced permitted requirements for seven other rare land: Samarium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Lotétium, Scandium and Yttrium, citing the need to “better safeguard national security and interest and the realization of national security and global tasks of the non-pror-prorosity. ”.

These limits have raised concerns that manufacturers in the United States and elsewhere would not lack vital materials necessary for production, a problem in the commercial talks in China-States. In response to American concessions on access to computer design software and reaction engines, Beijing announced in June that it accelerated the approvals of rare land exports.

In July, the Chinese State Ministry of Security declared that it reprimanded the alleged smuggling of rare land materials which, according to national security, indicating that Beijing has evolved to exercise more control.

In recent decades, China has dominated the treatment of rare earths. It now provides almost 90% of rare earths in the world, even if it only undermines 70% of these materials.

China holds almost half of the known reserves in the world of rare land, but it also imports large quantities of rare earth from the neighboring Myanmar for treatment and export.

Since it controls the technologies used to refine the elements of rare earths and has prohibited the export of this know-how, China has a quasi-monopoly on the foundries and separate them.

In 2024, the United States obtained 70% of the rare earths it used from China; 13% of Malaysia; 6% of Japan and 5% of Estonia. According to the US Geologic Survey, some of the elements obtained from non -Chinese intermediate sources come from mineral concentrates treated in China and Australia.

China has agreed to issue permits for rare land exports, but not for military uses, and great uncertainty remains on their supply.

The rules published Friday state strict controls on the licenses of companies dealing with rare land and centralize the controls of mining, exports and treatment. They also impose more strict environmental standards for industry.

Trump has priority to try to reduce American dependence on China for rare earths, while pushing in Beijing to relieve his orders.

China has chosen to compose or descend the approval process if necessary, while tightening the overall controls on the industry.

The new regulations do not represent the quotas of production and export or specific elements of rare land, but strongly suggest that Beijing consists in exercising stronger control over industry.