China’s exports of rare earth permanent magnets to the United States fell in August while its overall shipments rose, highlighting trade tensions in the strategically important sector.
According to Chinese customs data released on Sept. 20, China shipped 6,146 metric tons of permanent magnets last month, up 10.2 percent from July and 15.4 percent from a year earlier. It was the highest monthly total since January, when exports reached 6,357 metric tons.
The European Union remained the top destination for Chinese rare earth magnets, importing 2,582 metric tons in August. That represented 42 percent of total shipments and marked a 21 percent increase from July, which had already seen a surge of more than 50 percent….