Following their summit in Busan, South Korea, at the end of last month, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the lifting of tariffs on Chinese fentanyl, effectively restoring previous trade relations. On Friday (November 7), China's Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs also jointly announced the suspension of six export controls related to rare earths and other key materials until November 10 next year.
'Bloomberg》報導，中方這項決定被視為近期中美貿易休戰協議的一部分。根據中方7日發出的公告，自即日起停止執行10月9日發布的第55號、56號、57號、58號、61號與62號公告，這些措施原先針對部分稀土原材料、加工設備、人造石墨與相關技術施加出口限制。
China is a major global exporter of rare earth elements, controlling over 90% of rare earth mining and processing capacity. Rare earth elements are widely used in high-tech fields such as electric vehicles, precision electronics, wind turbines, and military equipment, and are also a key resource in US-China trade.
The White House stated earlier this week that China has agreed to issue "general licenses" allowing the export of rare earth materials to the United States, effectively "removing" the first round of rare earth export restrictions implemented on April 4th of this year. However, Chinese officials have not yet responded to this statement.
Previously, in October, China issued six export restrictions in succession, described by US media as a policy intensity that was "almost unprecedented." At the time, Trump responded that he was considering imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese products. The two sides subsequently restarted negotiations and agreed at the Busan Summit to extend the existing tariff truce arrangement to ease bilateral trade frictions and market pressure.
Analysts believe that China's temporary suspension of measures not only affects exports to the US, but also other countries previously impacted, including industrial nations heavily reliant on Chinese rare earths such as Japan, Germany, and South Korea. This move may provide a short-term period of stability for related supply chains, while preserving flexibility for further negotiations.
