China has quietly issued its first 2025 rare earth mining and smelting quotas without the typical public statement, sources with knowledge of the matter said this week, another sign of Beijing tightening its control over the crucial sector.

China has taken a decisive step by establishing its rare earth mining and smelting quotas for 2025, although this was done without any public declaration. Insiders reveal that firms are required to keep these numbers under wraps.

China’s exports of rare-earth products jumped in June, pointing to a potential pickup in magnet supplies after government-imposed curbs that proved to be Beijing’s most powerful weapon in its trade war with the Trump administration.