>be China >2025-10-09 >wake up, choose violence >MOFCOM and GAC drop six announcements >#55, #56, #57, #58, #61, #62 >#59 and #60 are MIA, spook levels rising
>first order of business: ban export of superhard artificial diamonds >“not your jewelry, science stuff only” >next up: add more rare-earth machines and chemicals to the “no touch” list >whole periodic table about to get export controlled
>did you want to build rare-earth magnets? >lol, no >need a special license to export a magnet if it has even a whiff of China in it >“0.1% rule” – find Chinese material in your thing? better call MOFCOM >got a rare-earth crystal growth furnace? >that’s not leaving China either, buddy
>equipment for lithium batteries and graphite anodes: welcome to the forbidden zone >think you can buy the machine, copy it, repair it, or even look at the blueprint? >only with official blessing from Beijing >otherwise, enjoy your unplugged EV
>are you a foreign company and want to use China’s rare-earth stuff overseas? >get in line for a license (probably denied) >selling to anyone on the “watch list” or military? >haha, good luck, automatic rejection >trying to use anything for 14nm chips or AI with possible military use? >Beijing rolls dice, probably nope
>exceptions for “humanitarian uses” >(please don’t use it for weapons or China gets mad, thanks)
>Chinese companies banned from helping outsiders make magnets and mining rare earths abroad >basically, you’re not just locked out of the rocks, you’re locked out of the know-how >try to help anyway? enjoy Export Control Law penalties
MOFCOM: “It’s about national security, not the trade war, trust us bro!” US/EU: sweating, starts looking for rare earths in backyard garden
>tldr: >China went full export-control-samurai >rare earths, magnets, lithium battery tech, graphite = hardcore lockdown >can’t even get the damn blueprints without permission >makes foreign defense and chip bros mauled by bureaucracy >APEC summit in South Korea soon, high-stakes bargaining chip unlocked >trade negotiators left scrambling
Source: https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/zwgk/zcfb/art/2025/art_7fc9bff0fb4546ecb02f66ee77d0e5f6.html
https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-releases/moolenaar-china-s-rare-earth-restrictions-are-a-slap-in-the-face-to-president-trump
How many Sputnik moments does it take before we get an actual Sputnik response?
But it’s notable Congress are saying this.
