China has quietly issued its first 2025 rare earth mining and smelting quotas without the typical public statement, sources with knowledge of the matter said this week, another sign of Beijing tightening its control over the crucial sector.

China has released its first set of rare earth mining quotas for 2025 quietly, marking a move to tighten state control over an industry vital to everything from electric cars to military hardware. Reuters reported that Beijing issued the initial quotas just last month,

Decades of process innovation and industrial policy helped China corner the rare earths market while the US fell behind.