China resumes rare earth magnet exports to India after freeze
After a six-month freeze, China is sending rare earth magnets to India again. This move should help ease shortages for electric vehicles, green energy, and gadgets.
The restart follows some tense talks between the US and China as global tech supply chains feel the heat from US-China trade spats.
The process gets smoother
Not everyone gets in: companies like Hitachi, Continental, Jay-Ushin, and DE Diamonds can now import these magnets, but only if they're used in India for civilian stuff—no military use or shipping them to the US allowed.
The process needed extra paperwork and will be smoother now that direct flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou are back.
Why do rare earth magnets matter?
Rare earth magnets power everything from EV motors to wind turbines to your favorite electronics.
Since China controls about 90% of the world's supply, its export bans hit hard.
With supplies flowing again (for now), expect things to pick up—but future access still depends on how global politics play out.