China secretly releases 2025 rare Earth Quotas

China has discreetly issued its first rare earth mining and smelting quotas for 2025 without the customary public announcement, sources familiar with the matter revealed this week. The move underscores Beijing’s growing sensitivity and control over the strategic sector that underpins technologies ranging from electric vehicles and wind turbines to advanced weaponry.
Traditionally, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announces quotas twice a year, but this year’s issuance delayed from the first quarter was done quietly. Companies were reportedly instructed not to disclose figures for security reasons, according to sources. Exact volumes remain undisclosed,according to sources.
China, the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, uses these quotas as a key policy tool to regulate supply. The sector has gained geopolitical importance as Beijing has previously restricted exports in response to trade tensions with the U.S. and EU. In recent years, several elements and magnets were added to China’s export control list, impacting global supply chains and forcing automakers outside China to halt production.
According to information,last year, China set mining quotas at 270,000 metric tons and smelting quotas at 254,000 tons, marking modest growth of 5.9% and 4.2% respectively, down sharply from previous years. Access to quotas has also narrowed, with only two state-owned groups China Rare Earth Group and China Northern Rare Earth High-Tech eligible to receive allocations, compared to six earlier.
Analysts say this year’s delay partly stemmed from a February proposal to include imported ore in the quota system, which drew opposition from firms reliant on overseas raw materials.The ministry has not responded to requests for comment on the unusual secrecy surrounding the 2025 quotas.