China Rare Earth Export Controls: Paused to Jan 10, 2027

Bottom line

The pause covers only the controls added in October 2025, and the April 2025 list has needed a license for every shipment all along

On November 9, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and customs agency extended the suspension of six export control notices for two more months, from November 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027. The pause had been due to end on November 10.

Many buyers read that as "rare earths are free to ship until January." They are not. The pause applies to the measures China added in October 2025. The earlier list, in force since April 4, 2025, covers seven medium and heavy rare earths and the magnets that contain them, and it was never suspended.

Three things to get right:

The new deadline is close and badly timed. January 10 falls four weeks before Chinese New Year on February 6, 2027, when factories and export desks slow down.
A license review can take up to 45 working days, about nine weeks. For a European buyer, that is longer than the ocean voyage.
A shipment declared around the rules is a shipment that can stop at Chinese customs. At least 11 Chinese companies were penalized in 2026 for exporting rare earths or critical minerals in breach of the controls.

What is in force on November 12, 2026

Table 1. Status of China’s rare earth and related export controls, checked November 12, 2026
Measure	What it covers	Status	What to do
No. 18 of 2025	Seven medium and heavy rare earths; samarium-cobalt magnets; NdFeB magnets with terbium or dysprosium	In forceLicense needed for every shipment; never paused	Ask your supplier for the license status now
Nos. 55–58, 61 and 62 of 2025	Superhard materials, rare earth equipment, five more rare earths, lithium battery and graphite anode materials, the 0.1% rule, rare earth technology	PausedUntil January 10, 2027, under Announcement No. 58 of 2026	Use the window to land stock before Chinese New Year
After January 10, 2027	Whether the pause is extended again	To be confirmedNo official statement	Plan as if the controls return
Exports to the United States	Gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials	PausedUntil November 27, 2026; not covered by the November 9 notice	Watch for a separate announcement

Source: Reuters via The Star, Nov 9, 2026; CNA on Announcement No. 58 of 2026 (in Chinese); MOFCOM Announcement No. 70 of 2025 (in Chinese); Pillsbury. This table will be updated around January 10, 2027.

What is paused, and what still needs a license?

The announcement numbers are the fastest way to talk to a supplier or a lawyer, so the table uses them.

Table 2. China's export control notices on rare earths and related materials
Notice	What it covers	Status on Nov 12, 2026
No. 18 of 2025	Samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium as metals, alloys, oxides and compounds; samarium-cobalt magnets; NdFeB magnets containing terbium or dysprosium	In force since April 4, 2025. Never paused
No. 55 of 2025	Synthetic diamond and other superhard materials	Paused to Jan 10, 2027
No. 56 of 2025	Rare earth production and processing equipment and auxiliary materials	Paused to Jan 10, 2027
No. 57 of 2025	Holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium, and magnets containing them	Paused to Jan 10, 2027
No. 58 of 2025	High-energy-density lithium batteries, cathode materials, graphite anode materials and related equipment	Paused to Jan 10, 2027
No. 61 of 2025	Goods made outside China that contain Chinese-origin controlled rare earths worth 0.1% or more of their value, or are made with Chinese rare earth technology	Paused to Jan 10, 2027
No. 62 of 2025	Rare earth mining, smelting, magnet-making and recycling technology	Paused to Jan 10, 2027
No. 10 of 2025	Tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium items	In force
Earlier notices	Gallium and germanium (2023), graphite (2023), antimony (2024)	In force

Source: Reuters via The Star, Nov 9; CNA, Nov 10 (in Chinese); Pillsbury; MOFCOM No. 70 of 2025 (in Chinese)

Two country-specific rules sit on top

Table 3. Country-specific rules for the United States and Japan
Destination	Rule	Status
United States	Under Announcement No. 46 of 2024, license applications for gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials to the US were refused in principle. That part was suspended in November 2025 through November 27, 2026, and the November 9 notice does not mention it. The ban on dual-use exports to US military users stays in force	Watch for a separate announcement before November 27
Japan	Announcement No. 1 of 2026, issued January 6, bans dual-use exports to Japanese military users and to any end use that would strengthen Japan's military capability. Third parties that help transfer Chinese-origin items to those users can be held liable	In force

Source: Pillsbury; Global Trade Alert; Greenberg Traurig

Why only two months, and what happens on January 10?

The original pause followed the summit between President Xi and President Trump in South Korea in late 2025 and ran for one year. This time MOFCOM gave two months and no explanation. Reuters reported that the extension is part of a broader suspension of trade countermeasures while the two sides negotiate, and that Trump is due at the APEC leaders' summit in Shenzhen later in November, where he is expected to meet Xi.

Nobody outside those talks knows what comes next, so plan for each outcome.

Table 4. Three scenarios for January 10, 2027
Scenario	What happens	What it means for buyers	What to do now
A. Extended again	A new notice pushes the six pauses past January 10	Same as today: No. 18 and the older lists need licenses	Use the time to land pre-holiday stock
B. Partial return	China brings back selected elements or end uses under the existing license system	Some parts suddenly need a license and lead times stretch	Mark holmium, erbium, europium, ytterbium and battery materials in your bill of materials now
C. Full return	All six notices take effect	Batteries, graphite anodes and five more rare earths need licenses; goods made outside China with Chinese rare earths may be caught by the 0.1% rule	Add contract clauses, raise safety stock, qualify a second source

Source: Reuters via The Star, Nov 9; Fastmarkets, Sep 10

Does this apply to buyers outside the United States?

Yes. The licensing rules apply to the Chinese exporter, whatever the destination. What differs by region is how smoothly licenses are being granted.

Table 5. How the controls are playing out by buyer location
Buyer location	What the data shows
European Union	The EU took 4,775 tonnes of Chinese rare earth magnets in January–February 2026, 44.4% of China's total and up 28.4% on the year. At talks in Beijing on October 8–9, China said it would keep facilitating licenses for the EU through a fast-track channel. Prices still show the strain: in late August dysprosium oxide traded at $1,250–1,675 per kg in Rotterdam against $270–330 FOB China
Japan	Customs data cited by Fastmarkets in September showed no dysprosium or terbium oxide exports to Japan in 2026. Civilian buyers need clear end-use documents because of the January ban
United States	Magnet shipments fell 22.5% in January–February 2026 to 994 tonnes. A separate US-specific pause ends on November 27
Taiwan	Not named in the notices, but goods leave through Chinese export clearance, so the same licenses apply. Taiwan's economics ministry says chipmaking is little affected. Nikkei reported in August 2026 that makers of motors, robots and optics faced delays of months for magnets and germanium
Everyone else	Standard licensing: the supplier applies, you supply end-user and end-use documents

Source: SCMP; SMM, Oct 20; Fastmarkets, Sep 10; Taiwan News on Nikkei report; CNA on Taiwan's economics ministry (in Chinese)

How does the export license work?

Your Chinese supplier applies, not you. But the file cannot move without your documents.

Table 6. Export license rules for dual-use items
Item	Rule	Basis
Review period	Decision within 45 working days of acceptance	Dual-use export control regulations, Article 17
Time that does not count	Technical identification, expert consultation, on-site checks	Same
Cases referred to the State Council	No time limit	Same
Documents for a single license	End-user and end-use certificate, sometimes issued or certified by a government body	Article 16
End-user undertaking	No change of use and no transfer to third parties without approval	Article 24
General license	Valid up to three years for repeat shipments, for exporters with a sound compliance system and stable customers	Article 15

Source: Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Items (in Chinese)

MOFCOM confirmed in December 2025 that it had approved general licenses for some exporters. Reports named large magnet makers including JL Mag, Zhong Ke San Huan and Ningbo Yunsheng. Chinese market analysts at SMM say shipment-by-shipment end-user checks are the main bottleneck, and that large producers with complete customer files recovered fastest after a backlog built up at ports in July and August 2026. September exports then hit a 2026 record of 6,165 tonnes.

What your supplier needs from you

End-user statement: your company name, address, contact and who finally uses the material.
End-use description: the product it goes into and the industry, as specific as you can make it.
Non-transfer undertaking: a signed promise not to resell or change the use.
Product specification: composition, element content and technical parameters, so the supplier can classify it correctly.

Prepare this once as a standard pack. Reusing the same wording on every order avoids weeks of back-and-forth.

How much stock should you hold? A worked example

Assume a pump maker uses 2 tonnes a month of NdFeB magnets containing dysprosium, which fall under No. 18 and always need a license.

Table 7. Worked example: replenishment lead time and safety stock
Step	Europe via Suez	Europe via the Cape	Taiwan (short sea)
License review, 45 working days	63 days	63 days	63 days
Production, packing and ocean transit	45 days	59 days	14 days
Your own buffer	14 days	14 days	14 days
Replenishment lead time	122 days	136 days	91 days
Safety stock at 2 tonnes a month	About 8 tonnes	About 9 tonnes	About 6 tonnes

Source: SEKO: Suez and Cape planning ranges

The ocean figures use 35 days for a Suez routing to North Europe and 49 days for a Cape routing, plus 10 days for production and packing. Which route your container takes is now a live question; our guide to the Suez Canal return explains how to check.

A 6-step playbook before January 10

Map your bill of materials
- List every part that contains rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, graphite or lithium battery materials.
- Sort them into "needs a license today" and "may need one after January 10."
Ask every supplier four questions
- Is this item a controlled dual-use item, and under which control code?
- Do you hold a general license? How long are single licenses taking now?
- How do you declare it at export?
- What is your plan if the paused notices return?
Build your end-user pack
- Prepare the four documents above as templates.
- Keep them consistent across orders and suppliers.
Fix your purchase contracts
- Delivery: time spent waiting for a license does not count as late, but the supplier must show proof that the application was accepted.
- License refusal: say what happens to the order and the deposit.
- Compliance: the supplier must declare the goods truthfully.
Rebuild safety stock and book early
- Recalculate with the table above.
- Bring in what you can before January 10 and book pre-holiday sailings now.
Qualify a second source where one exists
- Heavy rare earth supply outside China is small and expensive, so start with the grades you cannot run without.
- Check whether a lower-temperature magnet grade without dysprosium or terbium would meet your specification. Get engineering approval before you switch.

Do not let a supplier route around the license

In May 2025 China launched a multi-agency campaign against the smuggling of strategic minerals. It targets three methods: false declarations, concealment, and transshipment through third countries.

Table 8. Enforcement cases in 2026
Case	What happened	Outcome
A listed materials company, 2026	Declared permanent magnets as ordinary goods and presented no license	Fined RMB 910,000 by Foshan Customs
Baotou smuggling case, tried September 2026	Samarium, dysprosium and terbium oxides exported under false or deleted product names	Criminal trial; RMB 4.21 million of goods involved
2026 overall	Exports of rare earths or critical minerals in breach of the rules	At least 11 companies penalized

Source: Xinhua, May 9, 2025 (in Chinese); Caixin, May 29, 2026 (in Chinese); Guangming Online, Sep 19, 2026 (in Chinese)

Frequently asked questions

Until when are China's rare earth export controls paused?

Until January 10, 2027. On November 9, 2026, MOFCOM and China's customs agency extended the suspension of Announcements No. 55, 56, 57, 58, 61 and 62 of 2025 from November 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027.

Which rare earths still need an export license today?

Samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium, plus samarium-cobalt magnets and NdFeB magnets that contain terbium or dysprosium. These are covered by Announcement No. 18 of 2025, which has been in force since April 4, 2025 and was never paused.

Will China extend the pause again after January 10, 2027?

There is no official statement. The extension was for two months only and is tied to US–China talks. Plan stock and contracts as if the paused controls return.

How long does a Chinese export license take?

The regulations allow up to 45 working days after the application is accepted, about nine weeks. Technical identification and expert consultation do not count toward that limit. Exporters with a general license do not need to apply for each shipment.

What is the 0.1% rule?

Announcement No. 61 of 2025 would require a Chinese license for goods made outside China if controlled Chinese-origin rare earths make up 0.1% or more of their value, or if they are made with Chinese rare earth technology. It is paused until January 10, 2027.

Do the controls apply to buyers in Europe, Japan or Taiwan?

Yes. The license requirement falls on the Chinese exporter for every destination. Europe has a fast-track channel, Japan faces an additional ban on military end uses since January 2026, and Taiwan-bound goods clear Chinese export customs like any other.

Are lithium batteries and graphite covered?

Announcement No. 58 of 2025 on high-energy-density lithium batteries, cathode materials and graphite anode materials is paused until January 10, 2027. Graphite itself has been controlled since December 2023 under an earlier notice, so check both.

What documents does my supplier need from me?

An end-user statement, an end-use description, a non-transfer undertaking and a product specification. Some cases need the end-user certificate issued or certified by a government body, so ask the supplier which form applies.

My supplier says the license has not arrived. What should I do?

Ask for proof that the application was accepted, check the delivery clause in your contract, and ask whether another exporter with a general license can supply. Do not accept an offer to ship the goods under a different description.

How much safety stock should I hold?

Add the license review, production and transit, and your own buffer. For a European buyer that is about four months of demand for items under Announcement No. 18; for a buyer in Taiwan, about three.

About this guide

Paul Liang
Mingsung International Logistics, Taipei

Last reviewed: Nov 12, 2026
Experience: Written by Paul Liang at Mingsung International Logistics in Taipei. Mingsung runs its own cross-strait services between Shanghai, Ningbo and Taiwan and books ocean freight from mainland China worldwide, so we see what happens to cargo when an export license is late.
Coverage: Covers China's dual-use export control notices on rare earths and related materials, the license process, regional differences, price and lead-time effects, and practical stock and contract planning.
Based on: Based on MOFCOM and General Administration of Customs Announcements No. 18, 55–58, 61, 62 and 70 of 2025 and No. 58 of 2026; China's Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Items, Articles 15–17 and 24; MOFCOM Announcement No. 1 of 2026 on Japan; and reporting by Reuters, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Fastmarkets, SMM and Caixin.
Please note: General information, not legal advice. Whether a specific item is controlled depends on its composition and parameters; rely on your supplier's control-code determination and qualified counsel. The status after January 10, 2027 will follow MOFCOM's formal announcements, and this guide will be updated then. Mingsung does not apply for Chinese export licenses on behalf of shippers.

Update log

Nov 12, 2026First published, reflecting MOFCOM and customs Announcement No. 58 of 2026 issued on November 9.
Jan 10, 2027Scheduled update: status of the six paused notices.

China Rare Earth Export Controls: Paused to Jan 10, 2027

Bottom line

What is in force on November 12, 2026