China extends export controls to overseas rare earth products

China's Ministry of Commerce announced that, with approval from the State Council, export controls will now apply to certain overseas rare earth-related items. According to the notice, foreign organizations and individuals must obtain a dual-use item export license from the Ministry of Commerce before exporting to a third country any products that contain or are manufactured using Chinese-origin rare earths or related technologies.

Controls listed in the Item List, including samarium, dysprosium, gadolinium, terbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium, samarium cobalt alloy, ferroterbium, ferrodysprosium, ferro-terbium-dysprosium, dysprosium oxide, terbium oxide, rare earth permanent magnetic material, and rare earth target materials, took effect on October 9, 2025.

The announcement further notes that export licenses will not be granted for cases involving military end users, entities on China's export control list, or uses related to weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, or military purposes. Exports involving advanced chips (14nm or below logic chips, 256-layer or above memory chips) or AI technologies with potential military applications will be subject to case-by-case review.

Attachment:
Announcement No.61
Annex List of Controlled Items