U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reported Thursday that while China has made improvements in rare earth mineral exports to America, Beijing continues to cause delays in approving certain shipments.
Speaking during a Bloomberg Television interview, Greer explained that Chinese officials sometimes move slowly on export licenses, requiring U.S. officials to step in and advocate for American companies affected by the delays.
“I would give them a passing grade on this,” Greer stated.
“We’ve certainly seen the rare earths come back up to better levels. Sometimes it’s slow. There are times when we have to go and make our point,” he added.
Beijing implemented rare earth export restrictions in April 2025 as a response to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Liberation Day. These controls remain in place and continue to limit certain rare earth exports, despite an October agreement where the White House claims China committed to allowing unrestricted shipment flows.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet provided a response to requests for comment. Beijing has consistently justified its April 2025 export restrictions and maintains that it processes all qualified applications.
Greer is currently in China as part of Trump’s diplomatic team for discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
According to Greer, the United States has recently taken delivery of multiple large yttrium shipments. This rare earth element is exclusively manufactured in China and has been scarce for over a year, creating supply problems for American semiconductor and aerospace sectors.
“Whenever we see an issue, we hear from specific companies, we engage with our Chinese counterparts and we find them to be constructive,” Greer commented.
Reuters previously reported in April that China had given approval for several substantial yttrium exports, though current levels still fall significantly short of previous export volumes.
