BEIJING: Chinese exports of rare earth magnets in the first two months of 2026 rose 8.2 per cent from the same period the year before, customs data showed on Friday (March 20), ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.
Outbound shipments from the world's largest producer of rare earth magnets used in everything from cellphones to automotives to defence sectors stood at 10,763 metric tonnes between January and February, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
Exports in January and February stood at 6,024 tonnes and 4,739 tonnes, respectively, versus 6,357 tonnes and 3,585 tonnes in the prior year before Beijing placed several medium to heavy elements and magnets under export restrictions last April.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he is seeking to delay his scheduled March 31-April 2 trip to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for a month due to the Iran war.
Germany, South Korea, the United States, Vietnam and France are China's top five rare earth magnets export destinations between January and February.
Exports to the US slid 22.5 per cent on the year to 994 tonnes during the January and February period.
Exports to Japan rose by 9.5 per cent to 444 tonnes during the same period. - Reuters
