China Rare Earth Export Curbs
Analysis based on 8 articles · First reported May 13, 2026 · Last updated May 13, 2026
The rare earth export curbs by China have led to significant price increases for critical materials like yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium, impacting global manufacturing, aerospace, and defense industries. This situation creates supply chain instability and prompts countries like the United States, Japan, and Germany to seek diversification away from China, potentially leading to long-term shifts in global rare earth production and trade.
China and the United States are considering extending a truce on Chinese rare earth export curbs at an upcoming leaders' summit. Despite a previous agreement in October for China to eliminate controls, Beijing has maintained tight restrictions on specialty rare earths such as yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium since April 2025. These materials are crucial for aerospace, defense, semiconductors, and electronics, and their limited supply has caused prices to soar by four to five times for dysprosium and terbium, and 140-fold for yttrium. The United States, Japan, and Germany have been particularly affected, with some US aerospace companies pausing production and Japan and Germany experiencing drastic reductions in imports. The White House has intervened to secure export licenses for a US firm, and countries are investing in projects to diversify supply chains, though a full replacement of China's supply is years away.
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