Chinese Rare Earth Shipments Held Up as Trade War Upends Exports

Chinese exports of rare-earth minerals are all but on hold as producers grapple with tighter permit requirements following last week’s new restrictions on the critical materials in an escalating trade war with the US.

The delays could take weeks to clear as questions including code classifications are clarified, according to people with knowledge of the issue. Companies are rushing to submit documents to apply for export permits but those can take about 45 working days, the people said, asking not to be named as they are not authorized to speak to the media. 

Beijing added seven rare-earth minerals — out of an accepted list of 17 — to its export control list last Friday, in response to increasingly punitive tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. The move, which adds to supply curbs on other minor metals where China dominates output, threatens to shake-up the global supply chains for niche materials that are vital for high-tech manufacturing.

Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Bloomberg News metals and mining reporter Joe Deaux detail the ripple effects. Gracelin and Joe speak with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek.
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