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The Diplomat · Japan/Asia-Pacific · China restricts rare earth and magnet exports to Japan, targeting military-linked end users
Analyses the January 2026 MOFCOM prohibition on all dual-use exports to Japan for military end-users or military purposes, and notes the practical effect: export licence reviews for Japanese companies were halted or slowed broadly, not limited to declared military buyers, effectively choking heavy rare earth and high-performance magnet flows.
“Export licence reviews to Japanese firms were halted or slowed, effectively choking off supplies of heavy rare earths and high-performance magnets from China to Japan.”