China has extended the suspension of several export controls on rare earths, batteries and related materials until 10 January 2027. But some rare earth controls remain in force, and buyers with shipments planned around the deadline should not assume the suspension will be extended again.
On 9 November, China’s Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs extended the suspension of six measures announced in October 2025. These cover certain rare earth materials and technologies, superhard materials, lithium batteries and graphite anode materials, among other items.
The previous suspension ran until 10 November 2026. The extension starts on 11 November and runs through 10 January 2027, leaving no gap between the two periods.
A suspension does not remove the rules. Unless China extends it again or changes the measures, the October controls could apply after 10 January.
For batteries, the suspended measure includes rechargeable lithium-ion cells and battery packs with a gravimetric energy density of at least 300 Wh/kg. It also covers specified battery materials, production equipment and technologies. The scope is specific: it does not mean that every lithium battery would require a licence if the suspension ends.
What remains in force
A separate control introduced in April 2025 was not included in the suspension. It requires export licences for specified items related to seven rare earths, including samarium-cobalt magnets and neodymium-iron-boron magnets containing terbium or dysprosium.
That does not mean every product containing such a magnet requires a licence. Ministry guidance says certain further-processed products, including motor rotor and stator assemblies with fixed magnets and some consumer products with magnetic parts, generally fall outside the April measure. A magnet exported separately may fall within it.
What buyers should check
For orders involving magnets, rare earth materials or high-energy-density batteries, the starting point is to identify what will actually be exported and obtain the relevant specifications from the supplier.
For a magnet, that includes its composition and whether it is being shipped separately or as part of an assembly. For a battery, the cell or pack energy density helps determine whether the suspended October measure could become relevant if it returns.
If goods are due to leave China close to or after 10 January, buyers should also allow time for a possible licensing requirement and agree with the supplier how a resulting delay would be handled.
At Berg, we check these questions with the factory while the order is being planned. Knowing the product’s control status early is more useful than discovering a licensing issue when the goods are ready to ship.