China Rare Earth Control Architecture: Quotas, State Consolidation, and Export Licensing

China's rare earth supply control rests on three interlocking instruments: production and separation quotas allocated to the two state groups, China Rare Earth Group and China Northern Rare Earth; an export-licensing regime expanded since 2023 to cover seven medium and heavy rare earths and sintered NdFeB magnets; and a consolidation structure routing most heavy rare earth output through a single state entity. The 2025 quota round was published only in part, itself a signaling choice, and mid-year measures formally codified total-quantity control across mining, separation, and imported feedstock. The April 2025 export permits on selected heavy rare earths and magnets remained in force despite the November suspension of the broader October controls, preserving Beijing's ability to modulate midstream supply as a discrete lever.