China has broadened its export restrictions on rare earths to cover overseas-manufactured items containing the minerals, intensifying trade tensions with the United States, reports Bloomberg.
Exporters of products using rare earths sourced from China must now obtain a licence from the Ministry of Commerce, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
Technologies linked to rare earth extraction, magnet production and mineral recycling will be banned unless specifically authorized. Military applications will generally be refused, while semiconductor-related exports will be assessed individually.
The enforcement mechanism for the new rules remains unclear. Rare earths are critical to high-tech sectors such as automotive and defence, and have long been a point of contention in US-China trade disputes.
China, which supplies about 70 per cent of the world's rare earths, has previously used its dominance in the sector as a bargaining tool in negotiations with Washington.
SeaNews Turkey
Exporters of products using rare earths sourced from China must now obtain a licence from the Ministry of Commerce, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
Technologies linked to rare earth extraction, magnet production and mineral recycling will be banned unless specifically authorized. Military applications will generally be refused, while semiconductor-related exports will be assessed individually.
The enforcement mechanism for the new rules remains unclear. Rare earths are critical to high-tech sectors such as automotive and defence, and have long been a point of contention in US-China trade disputes.
China, which supplies about 70 per cent of the world's rare earths, has previously used its dominance in the sector as a bargaining tool in negotiations with Washington.
SeaNews Turkey
