China has signaled its willingness to relax the export restrictions on rare earths. Exports to the EU will be examined and approved more quickly, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Saturday.
At the same time, a ministry spokesperson insisted on the need for export controls, as rare earths and related products have both civilian and military applications, and „that implementing export controls on them aligns with international practices.“
China also aims to reach a decision regarding EU brandy imports by July 5. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao agreed on this at a meeting last Tuesday. Emily Kossak