China defends yttrium export curbs on Japan, cites remilitarisation fears
China defends yttrium export controls on Japan, saying they are needed to halt Tokyo's remilitarisation. Beijing tightened curbs after a row over Taiwan. A report says Japan's yttrium reserves could run out in months.
China has defended its export controls on yttrium and other rare earths to Japan, saying the measures are needed to halt Tokyo's “remilitarisation and nuclear ambitions”. The defence came from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning during a regular press conference on 21 October.
Mao was responding to a Financial Times report that Japan's reserves of yttrium could be depleted within months, and that Tokyo has asked the United States to urge Beijing to ease the restrictions. Mao said China is enforcing the controls in accordance with the law and reiterated Beijing's position on safeguarding the stability and security of global critical mineral supply chains, adding that all parties share a responsibility to play a constructive role.
China first limited exports of yttrium and other rare earths in April 2025. It formally tightened curbs on shipments to Japan in January 2026, and again a month later, as a countermeasure against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan, which sparked a diplomatic row with Beijing in November 2025.
China is the world's main exporter of yttrium, a rare earth used in specialty alloys for engines and in coatings that shield against high temperatures.