China’s Rare Earth Magnet Exports to Japan Rise 2.5% as Firms Warn of Severe Shortages
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · May 20
China’s Rare Earth Magnet Exports to Japan Rise 2.5% as Firms Warn of Severe Shortages
4 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · May 20
April shipments of Chinese rare earth permanent magnets to Japan rose 2.5% from March, a modest rebound that left Japanese companies still reporting severe supply shortages.
That uptick only partly reversed March’s 17.3% drop, underscoring how deeply supply flows had already been disrupted.
The squeeze comes as a diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo drags on, limiting relief for Japanese manufacturers that rely on the magnets.
Japan ranked only ninth among buyers of Chinese permanent magnets in April, behind Germany, South Korea and the United States, highlighting its weakened access to supply.
Can Western alliances build a new supply chain before China's rare earth dominance cripples global industry?
As trade becomes a weapon, is the era of separating politics from economics permanently over?