Rare earth Photo:VCG

Chinese authorities announced Saturday that they will further intensify a campaign to crack down on the smuggling of strategic minerals, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

The announcement was made during a meeting held by the office of a national export control work coordination mechanism in Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The meeting brought together multiple state organs such as the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Security, and the General Administration of Customs.

According to a press release published Saturday on the Ministry of Commerce's (MOFCOM) website, the meeting highlighted that the "zero-tolerance" campaign against strategic-minerals smuggling has achieved initial success. It noted that law enforcement efforts have been continuously intensified, resulting in investigations into multiple illegal strategic-mineral export cases and the arrest of several smuggling suspects. 

The meeting noted that cracking down on strategic-minerals smuggling remains challenging, as some lawbreakers collude with external forces and increasingly employ covert evasion tactics, such as false declarations and transshipments through third countries. 

All relevant departments must uphold their responsibilities, maintaining high-pressure inspections and crackdowns to prevent the illegal outflow of strategic minerals and related technologies, according to the release. 

The meeting also urged relevant departments to deepen the campaign and further strengthen enforcement. Key measures include establishing a joint enforcement coordination center for dual-use export controls, promptly investigating and prosecuting major violations, and providing guidance and warnings to exporting companies to conduct thorough due diligence and ensure that relevant items are not illicitly diverted to military end-users or used for military purposes.

On December 3, 2024, MOFCOM tightened export controls on gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials bound for the US. On April 4, 2025, MOFCOM and Customs expanded the controls to include items related to seven types of medium and heavy rare earths.


Global Times