China loses trade dispute over rare earth exports, U.S. says

Labourers work at a site of a rare earth metals mine at Nancheng county, Jiangxi province March 14, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer

GENEVA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has lost a dispute at the World Trade Organization over restrictions on its exports of rare earth metals, tungsten and molybdenum, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

The complaint about the restrictions on the highly prized commodities was made by the United States, European Union and Japan two years ago.