Republicans split over blame after Democratic midterm sweepNasdaq slides as AI and chip stocks extend losses after Democratic midterm winMore tankers burn in Hormuz as Iran keeps up pressureTrump weighs Iran deal or escalation after midterm defeatKomyshuvakha toll rises to 42 as Ukrainian drones hit RyazanParaguay's president announces resignation as Ueno bank collapse deepens crisisUnions and ministry dispute size of French cost-of-living protests as PM calls social conferenceHouthi missiles keep targeting Saudi Arabia as Yemen's government reshufflesEisenkot leads recommendations as ultra-Orthodox party withholds backing from NetanyahuMelania Trump hosts Russians and Ukrainians as Europe seeks a voiceBank of England raises rates to 4% and signals moreNo sign of foul play in Aiwanger's death, preliminary autopsy indicatesSecond wave of bomb threats hits European flights, no explosives foundBritish national with Ebola to be evacuated from CongoHong Kong court adds ten years to Joshua Wong's sentenceTech leaders concede data-centre backlash after midtermsGaza truce toll passes 1,600 after new Israeli strikesChina blocks SoftBank's takeover of ABB's robotics business in ChinaANC loses ground in South African local electionsRussia deepens military support for IranIndonesia deploys troops in Jakarta over wiretap scandalOil stays below $100, rebounds from two-month lowOpenAI launches GPT-6 Cyber with top cyber risk ratingNigerian court voids Atiku's 2027 presidential candidacyFinland jails Russian captain over Baltic cable sabotageTrump-Putin diesel deal falters as tankers divertSaudi Arabia and Syria sign defence deal and $403m in loansIsrael weighs life without US aid as midterms strain tiesDeveloping countries' external debt hits record $9.4tnCrédit Mutuel Arkéa seeks to recover over €100m after hackHerzog warns West Bank violence could lead to civil warBosch announces 750 more job cuts, over 30,000 in totalEurope drains gas storage at twice the usual rateSouth Korea to deploy navy closer to HormuzChina ties more US farm purchases to $30bn tariff cutsEU pays Ukraine €4.36bn as Kyiv aims to close accession clustersNvidia chips pile up in Hong Kong as China withholds approvalsBangladesh garment protests continue despite wage board moveGermany agrees to buy 50% stake in tank maker KNDSRepublicans split over blame after Democratic midterm sweepNasdaq slides as AI and chip stocks extend losses after Democratic midterm winMore tankers burn in Hormuz as Iran keeps up pressureTrump weighs Iran deal or escalation after midterm defeatKomyshuvakha toll rises to 42 as Ukrainian drones hit RyazanParaguay's president announces resignation as Ueno bank collapse deepens crisisUnions and ministry dispute size of French cost-of-living protests as PM calls social conferenceHouthi missiles keep targeting Saudi Arabia as Yemen's government reshufflesEisenkot leads recommendations as ultra-Orthodox party withholds backing from NetanyahuMelania Trump hosts Russians and Ukrainians as Europe seeks a voiceBank of England raises rates to 4% and signals moreNo sign of foul play in Aiwanger's death, preliminary autopsy indicatesSecond wave of bomb threats hits European flights, no explosives foundBritish national with Ebola to be evacuated from CongoHong Kong court adds ten years to Joshua Wong's sentenceTech leaders concede data-centre backlash after midtermsGaza truce toll passes 1,600 after new Israeli strikesChina blocks SoftBank's takeover of ABB's robotics business in ChinaANC loses ground in South African local electionsRussia deepens military support for IranIndonesia deploys troops in Jakarta over wiretap scandalOil stays below $100, rebounds from two-month lowOpenAI launches GPT-6 Cyber with top cyber risk ratingNigerian court voids Atiku's 2027 presidential candidacyFinland jails Russian captain over Baltic cable sabotageTrump-Putin diesel deal falters as tankers divertSaudi Arabia and Syria sign defence deal and $403m in loansIsrael weighs life without US aid as midterms strain tiesDeveloping countries' external debt hits record $9.4tnCrédit Mutuel Arkéa seeks to recover over €100m after hackHerzog warns West Bank violence could lead to civil warBosch announces 750 more job cuts, over 30,000 in totalEurope drains gas storage at twice the usual rateSouth Korea to deploy navy closer to HormuzChina ties more US farm purchases to $30bn tariff cutsEU pays Ukraine €4.36bn as Kyiv aims to close accession clustersNvidia chips pile up in Hong Kong as China withholds approvalsBangladesh garment protests continue despite wage board moveGermany agrees to buy 50% stake in tank maker KNDS
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Rare earth squeeze

Where things stand

China's rare-earth exports are down 10 percent so far this year, with shipments to Japan and the United States hit hardest after Beijing's new export curbs, even as it expands capacity at the giant Bayan Obo mine.

Rare earths are essential inputs for magnets, electronics and defence equipment, and China dominates both their mining and their processing. Beijing controls who gets them through export licensing, a lever in its trade conflict with Washington and other industrial economies that depend on Chinese supply.

Timeline in detail

Saturday, 8 August 2026Economy

China's rare-earth exports fall as Beijing expands Bayan Obo mine

Chinese rare-earth exports fell 10% between January and July, with shipments to Japan and the United States plunging after new export restrictions, according to Global Times and Nikkei Asia. Beijing plans to raise annual output capacity by 50% at the Bayan Obo mine in Inner Mongolia, the world's largest rare-earth deposit, investing more than $74 million, the South China Morning Post reports.