China blocks dual-use exports to 2 US rare earth companies
Why it matters: The move hits firms central to US efforts to build a non-China supply chain for defense and advanced manufacturing.
China added MP Materials and USA Rare Earth to its export control list on Monday, barring Chinese exporters from shipping them dual-use items for commercial or military purposes. Beijing also prohibited organizations and individuals from any country or region from transferring China-origin dual-use goods to the two companies. The move targets producers that sit at the center of Washington’s push to secure alternative supplies of rare earth minerals and magnets. It came days after Group of Seven countries agreed to keep imports of rare earths from any single country outside the bloc and its partners below 60% by 2030, part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on China.