China to Strengthen Strategic Minerals Control After US Trade Truce

Despite announcing the removal of non-tariff countermeasures targeting the U.S., China appears to be keeping its export controls on rare earths in place.

A loader shifts soil containing rare-earth minerals, at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, on Sept. 5, 2010. AFP via Getty Images

China has announced a tightening of control over its strategic mineral resources, a move that comes days after trade talks with the United States that placed the export of critical materials in the spotlight.

In an online statement on May 14, China’s Ministry of Commerce said Beijing would strengthen control over the entire supply chain of strategic minerals, including mining, processing, transportation, and exports.