BEIJING, (Reuters) – Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan in December fell 8% from November, when a diplomatic spat left market players concerned about future shipments – concern exacerbated by a ban Beijing imposed in January on the export of dual-use items to Japan. Outbound shipments from the world’s largest producer of rare earth magnets to its Asian neighbour totalled 280 metric tons last month versus the 2025 peak of 305 tons a month before, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.
Still, the December volume to Japan was 31.4% higher than in the same month in 2024. The on-year surge was likely due to Japanese buyers ramping up purchases in anticipation of further Chinese restrictions, analysts said. Shipments to Japan are likely to drop in January due to the ban on items that can have military applications.
The ban came two months after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan would respond militarily should China attack Taiwan. The comment angered China which claims sovereignty over the democratically ruled island – a claim Taiwan rejects.
The December data also showed exports of rare earth magnets to the U.S. fell 3% from a month earlier to 564 tons. For all of 2025, 5,933 tons were shipped to the U.S., an annual fall of 20.3%.
Shipments to the U.S. recovered after China agreed to pause some export controls following a meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. counterpart Donald Trump. Overall, rare earth magnet exports fell 3.2% in December from a month earlier to 5,952 tons. The amount was the fourth-highest in 2025.
For all of 2025, China exported 57,392 tons of rare earth magnet, representing an annual decline of 1.3%.
