Complaints on Rare Earth Export Restriction in China

Recently, the US,the UN and Japan requested consultations with China on the measures that it has in place related to restrictions on the export of rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum.The requests made reference to numerous Harmonized System (HS) codes (used for classifying products, materials and services for international import and export) for specific rare-earth, molybdenum and tungsten products and compounds. In the case of rare earths, forms referenced in the documents include (but are not limited to):

• Rare-earth ores;
• Thorium ores and concentrates (presumably by virtue of their rare-earth content?);
• Individual rare-earth metals, including so-called “battery-grade” rare-earth metals;
• Individual and mixed rare-earth oxides, carbonates, chlorides, fluorides and other compounds (including cerium hydroxide & cerium cyanide);
• Rare-earth-containing phosphorescent powders;
• Rare-earth-containing ferroalloys; and
• A variety of rare-earth-containing magnetic powders and alloys.

Yttrium and scandium are included in the HS code classifications for rare earths, alongside the lanthanides.