Under the new rules—unveiled by China’s Ministry of Commerce last week and set to take effect in December—foreign firms will be required to secure government approval before exporting magnets and certain semiconductor materials that contain even trace elements of Chinese-source rare earths.
“China’s move fits squarely within the broader U.S.–China strategic rivalry, where both powers are waging political and economic warfare beneath the threshold of open conflict,” said Ryan Kiggins, political science professor at the University of Central Oklahoma and nonresident fellow at the Armed Services Institute. “Rare earths sit at the heart of this contest: they underpin advanced weapons systems, EVs, and the energy transition—sectors that define 21st-century power.”
