China Codifies Rare Earth Leverage at Top State Level, EU Secures Managed Access

On October 9, 2026, the CPC Central Committee and State Council issued joint guidelines formalizing Beijing's strategy of leveraging critical mineral processing control. The same day, the EU secured tariff cuts on €4 billion in goods and faster rare earth export licensing, but China did not lift its export controls.

• China controls 60–70% of rare earth mining and over 90% of separation and processing capacity
• EU won tariff reductions on €4 billion in car parts, olive oil and footwear
• China kept export controls, only pledging to expedite licenses at its own discretion
• 28 of the 15th Five-Year Plan's 109 projects tie to 'new quality productive forces'