Export licences for rare-earth magnets

Which magnets are affected.

Sintered NdFeB containing dysprosium or terbium, and samarium-cobalt magnets. Licence requirements depend on the material composition, not the grade suffix. Standard N and M grades without heavy rare earths generally fall outside these controls.

What the exporter must submit.

Importer and end-user details, an end-use declaration and the product specification; the customer may be asked to sign an end-user certificate. Material testing of samples may be required.

Processing timelines.

The statutory review period is 45 working days from acceptance, excluding identification, expert consultation and on-site checks. Cases requiring higher-level approval are not subject to this limit. Plan sample and production timelines accordingly.

What changed and what is pending.

Additional measures announced in October 2025 — including a wider element list and controls on specified foreign-made rare-earth items using Chinese materials or technology — are suspended until 10 November 2026. The April 2025 controls remain in effect. Any reinstatement or change to the suspended measures could affect magnets produced outside China.

How we handle it.

We prepare the documentation with you, keep it on file per part and update it when required, and quote grades and origins that avoid licence requirements where the application allows — including grades without dysprosium or terbium and non-Chinese production routes.

This page summarises publicly available regulatory information as of September 2026 and is not legal advice. Requirements change; we confirm the current status per order.