Rare earth minerals trade shift: China's exports jump 75% in July to 6-month high; shipments to US and Europe rebound as curbs ease

China’s exports of rare earth magnets bounced back strongly in July, climbing to a six-month high and signalling that trade flows of the critical minerals essential for electric vehicles have returned to levels seen before Beijing tightened export controls.Data released by the General Administration of Customs on Wednesday showed that exports from the world’s largest supplier of rare earth magnets surged nearly 75% from June, reaching 5,577 metric tons in July — the highest for a single month since January, according to Reuters report.The July shipments were broadly in line with analysts’ expectations and also stood 5.7% higher than the 5,278 tons recorded in the same month last year.The rebound followed a series of agreements between Beijing and its trading partners in the United States and Europe aimed at boosting shipments and easing the restrictions that had been imposed in April. China had tightened export approvals as retaliation against US tariffs, a move that disrupted global supply chains.Exports slumped sharply in April and May due to long approval processes for securing licences, a bottleneck that left some automakers outside China facing production halts amid shortages of rare earths.Germany retained its position as the top export destination in July, with shipments rising 46% from the previous month to 1,116 tons. Outbound shipments to the United States also registered a sharp increase, jumping 75.5% from June to 619 tons, which was 4.8% higher than the same month in 2024.For the first seven months of this year, China’s exports of rare earth magnets totalled 27,897 tons. While the figure still reflected a 15% decline from last year, it marked an improvement compared to the 18.9% fall registered in the first half of 2025.