China has agreed to address US concerns over rare earth shortages, says White House
BEIJING 鈥 China will address US concerns about shortages of certain specialty rare earths caused by Beijing鈥檚 export controls, the White House said on Sunday in a factsheet outlining the major deals agreed during a summit last week.
China鈥檚 rare earth export controls 鈥攊ntroduced in April 2025 in retaliation for US President Donald J. Trump鈥檚 Liberation Day tariffs 鈥 continue to tightly restrict exports of some rare earths despite a deal last October in which the White House says China agreed to allow shipments to freely flow.
Beijing鈥檚 grip has been tightest over specialty rare earths such as yttrium and scandium, used in defense, aerospace and chipmaking, both of which were highlighted in the factsheet.
鈥淐hina will address US concerns regarding supply chain shortages related to rare earths and other critical minerals, including yttrium, scandium, neodymium, and indium,鈥 it read.
China鈥檚 Ministry of Commerce did not mention rare earths in its own summary released on Saturday.
Beijing would also address US concerns over China鈥檚 export restrictions on rare earth processing equipment and technology, the factsheet said.
China refines over 90% of the world鈥檚 rare earths and has dominated the industry for decades. Its expertise and technology are, however, tightly guarded and generally unavailable to foreign companies. 鈥 Reuters
