China has lifted a series of limitations on its export of essential minerals and rare earth substances to the United States, indicating that a trade ceasefire between the two largest economies is sustaining.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced Friday it would pause certain export regulations on vital minerals utilized in military equipment, semiconductors, and various high-tech industries for one year.
The lifted restrictions, initially enforced on Oct. 9, encompass limitations on the export of specific rare earth elements, lithium battery components, and processing technologies.
The easing of export restrictions comes in the wake of discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30.
Additionally, Beijing lifted retaliatory measures on gallium, germanium, antimony, and other so-called super-hard materials such as synthetic diamonds and boron nitride. These measures, which were put in place in December 2024, were perceived broadly as a response to Washington’s expanded semiconductor export restrictions targeting China.
China categorizes such materials as “dual-use items,” indicating they can serve both civilian and military functions.
Apart from military uses, these essential minerals are employed extensively across the semiconductor industry and other advanced technology sectors — sectors central to U.S.-China trade disputes.
Beijing has also curtailed the more stringent end-user and end-use verification procedures for dual-use graphite exports to the U.S., which were introduced in December 2024 alongside broader export prohibitions.
China leads global production of the majority of essential minerals and rare earth elements and has increasingly leveraged its export regulations in trade conflicts.
In accordance with the recent China-U.S. trade agreement, the U.S. has made several concessions, including a reduction of tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percentage points and postponing Trump’s elevated “reciprocal tariffs” on Chinese imports until Nov. 10, 2026.
The U.S. will also delay a regulation announced on Sept. 29 that intended to blacklist majority-owned subsidiaries of Chinese firms on its entity list.
