Announcement 2025 No. 56 – China Tightens Export Controls on Rare Earth Equipment and Materials

Announcement 2025 No. 56 – China Tightens Export Controls on Rare Earth Equipment and Materials

Posted by Magnetop on 16th Oct 2025

English Translation:

[Issuing Authority] Bureau of Security and Control
[Document Number] Ministry of Commerce & General Administration of Customs Announcement No. 56 of 2025
[Date of Issue] October 9, 2025

Announcement on Implementing Export Controls on Certain Rare Earth Equipment and Raw/Auxiliary Materials

Pursuant to the Export Control Law of the People's Republic of China, Foreign Trade Law, Customs Law, and the Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Items, and in order to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, the State Council has approved the following export controls on rare earth-related items:

I. 2B902 Rare Earth Production and Processing Equipment

(1) 2B902.a. Centrifugal extraction equipment used for rare earth production and processing.

(2) 2B902.b. Intelligent continuous impurity removal precipitation equipment for ion-type rare earth ores with daily leachate processing capacity ≥ 5000 m³.

(3) 2B902.c. Rare earth roasting kilns with all the following features:

  1. Dimensions range: Φ1.8×20 m to Φ4.6×80 m;

  2. Lined with corrosion- and high-temperature-resistant materials such as graphite bricks, high-alumina bricks, or mullite bricks that can withstand concentrated sulfuric and hydrofluoric acid;

  3. Reaction temperature ≤ 850 ℃.

(4) 2B902.d. Extraction tanks with a mixing chamber volume of 0.5–14.2 m³ for rare earth separation and purification.

(5) 2B902.e. Ion adsorption equipment for rare earth separation and purification.

(6) 2B902.f. Precipitation crystallization reactors for rare earths with a volume of 10–50 m³.

(7) 2B902.g. Components for the equipment under item 2B902.f:

  1. Precipitation crystallization agitators (HS code: 84798999);

  2. Stirring blades (HS code: 84799090);

  3. Electric motors with power range 5.5–37 kW.

(8) 2B902.h. Rare earth resistance furnaces (HS code: 85141990) with all the following features:

  1. Reaction temperature range: 320–650 ℃;

  2. Components made of corrosion-resistant materials like manganese steel and nickel-chromium alloy.

(9) 2B902.i. Any of the following equipment used for rare earth metal electrolysis:

  1. Electrolytic rectifier equipment;

  2. Feeding equipment;

  3. Rare earth metal siphon tapping system;

  4. Exhaust gas treatment equipment.

(10) 2B902.j. Rare earth electrolytic cells (HS code: 85433000) with all the following features:

  1. Furnace lined with refractory bricks;

  2. Graphite anodes;

  3. Tungsten cathodes;

  4. Current range: 6000–30000 A;

  5. Anode current density: 5–7 A/cm²;

  6. Cathode current density: 1–2 A/cm².

(11) 2B902.k. Vacuum induction reduction furnaces with all of the following:

  1. Medium-frequency power supply frequency: 1–8 kHz;

  2. Heating temperature: 0–1700 ℃;

  3. Vacuum level ≥ 1×10⁻³ Pa;

  4. Melting capacity: 10–300 kg.

(12) 2B902.l. Vacuum carbon tube furnaces with all of the following:

  1. Heating temperature: 0–1700 ℃;

  2. Vacuum level ≥ 1×10⁻³ Pa;

  3. Melting capacity: 10–300 kg.

(13) 2B902.m. Czochralski crystal growth furnaces for rare earths (HS code: 85142000) with all the following:

  1. Induction heating method;

  2. Max heating temperature ≥ 2300 ℃;

  3. Equipped with automatic diameter control.

(14) 2B902.n. Crucible descent crystal growth furnaces for rare earths (HS code: 85141990) with all the following:

  1. Resistance heating;

  2. Max heating temperature ≥ 1400 ℃;

  3. Multi-zone heating capability.

(15) 2B902.o. Vacuum induction strip casting furnaces for rare earth permanent magnets:

  1. Batch-type vacuum induction strip casting furnace (HS code: 85142000);

  2. Induction melting furnace.

(16) 2B902.p. Components for 2B902.o equipment:

  1. Water-cooled cables;

  2. Copper rollers;

  3. Crucibles;

  4. Tilt angle controllers;

  5. Cooling systems.

(17) 2B902.q. Hydrogen decrepitation furnaces for rare earth permanent magnets:

  1. Continuous atmosphere heat treatment furnace;

  2. Rotary hydrogen decrepitation furnace;

  3. Explosion-proof continuous hydrogen decrepitation furnace.

(18) 2B902.r. Components for 2B902.q equipment:

  1. Valves;

  2. Hydrogen gas manifolds.

(19) 2B902.s. Jet mills for rare earth permanent magnets with all of the following:

  1. Particle size ≤ 5 μm;

  2. Total powder yield ≥ 99%;

  3. Internal system oxygen content ≤ 80 ppm.

(20) 2B902.t. Pressing machines for rare earth permanent magnets with built-in magnetization field, magnetic induction intensity ≥ 1.5 T.

(21) 2B902.u. Automatic hot pressing equipment for rare earth permanent magnets.

(22) 2B902.v. Cold isostatic pressing machines for rare earth magnets not regulated under item 2B104 (HS code: 84798310).

(23) 2B902.w. Vacuum sintering furnaces for rare earth permanent magnets meeting all of the following:

  1. Cooling time ≤ 20 min;

  2. Heating temperature range: 500–1200 ℃;

  3. Temperature uniformity within ±3 ℃ at 1000 ℃;

  4. Includes:
     a. Horizontal single-unit sintering furnace;
     b. Continuous vacuum sintering furnace;
     c. Vertical sintering furnace.

(24) 2B902.x. Equipment for rare earth magnet machining:

  1. Multi-wire cutting machines;

  2. Laser cutting equipment;

  3. Automatic gluing machines;

  4. Vertical grinders;

  5. Double-sided grinders;

  6. End-face grinders;

  7. Pass-through grinding machines.

(25) 2B902.y. Grain boundary diffusion equipment:

  1. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) magnetron sputtering coaters (HS code: 84798999);

  2. Vacuum diffusion furnaces for rare earth magnets;

  3. Screen printing devices for rare earth magnets.

(26) 2B902.z. Shaft kilns (diameter ≥ Φ19×21 m) for rare earth secondary resource recycling.

II. 1C914 Rare Earth Raw and Auxiliary Materials

(1) 1C914.a. Rare earth ores (HS code: 25309020):

  1. Bastnaesite;

  2. Monazite;

  3. Ion-adsorption type rare earth ores.

(2) 1C914.b. Rare earth flotation reagents containing hydroxamic acid or phosphate ester collectors.

(3) 1C914.c. Extractants used in rare earth production:

  1. P507: 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (CAS 14802-03-0) (HS code: 29319000);

  2. P204: di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (CAS 298-07-7) (HS code: 29199000);

  3. Naphthenic acid (CAS 1338-24-5) (HS code: 38249999);

  4. N235: trioctyldecyl tertiary amine (CAS 68814-95-9) (HS code: 38249999);

  5. C272: bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (CAS 83411-71-6).

Export Control and Compliance Requirements

Exporters intending to export the above-mentioned items must apply for a license from the competent authority of the State Council, in accordance with the Export Control Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Items.

Exporters shall ensure the authenticity of the declared goods, strengthen item classification and identification. For controlled items, “Dual-Use Item” and the applicable control classification code must be noted in the customs declaration. For items not classified as controlled but with similar parameters or functions, “Not a controlled item” must be declared along with specific technical specifications.

Where Customs suspects inaccurate or incomplete declaration, the goods shall not be released until the matter is verified.

This announcement shall take effect on November 8, 2025.
The Export Control List of Dual-Use Items of the People’s Republic of China will be updated accordingly.

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial English translation of Announcement No. 61 (2025) issued by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. It is provided for reference purposes only. For the official version, please refer to the original Chinese publication.