China's May rare earth magnet exports to Japan decrease by 34%

Trade data released by China's General Administration of Customs show that in May, rare earth magnet exports to Japan decreased by 34.6% month-on-month, falling to 123 tons, marking the lowest level since May 2025, when exports sharply declined due to China strengthening export controls amid Sino-US trade frictions. The impact of the export controls on dual-use military and civilian items launched by the Chinese government in January is believed to still be ongoing. China's rare earth magnet exports have been below 200 tons for three consecutive months. In May, the overall global export volume decreased by 7.7%, with a particularly notable decline in Japan. Additionally, exports to the United States also fell by 7.7%. The list of dual-use military and civilian items still includes rare metals, and related products such as tungsten carbide continued to have zero exports to Japan after April. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated that civil use is unaffected by the export controls. However, the China-Japan Chamber of Commerce, composed of Japanese-funded enterprises in China, pointed out that trade in some consumer products has been affected and called for clear implementation standards.