Q: Will the rare earth export licenses mentioned by the European Commission be affected by the situation in the China-U.S. trade negotiations in January? (MOFCOM Regular Press Conference October 15, 2026)

MOFCOM said China is willing to keep providing facilitation for EU applications for rare earth export licenses, suggesting European buyers will continue to get approvals rather than face a new blockage.

In return, Beijing asked the EU to give reciprocal facilitation to 'specific priority licensing cases' for China in the dual-use field — a request for faster EU export approvals of sensitive items to Chinese buyers.

Both sides will continue to rely on the existing export control dialogue mechanism, meaning licensing disputes will be handled through a bilateral channel rather than unilateral action.

The statement came in response to a question about whether rare earth export licenses raised by the European Commission would be affected by the China-U.S. trade negotiations in January.

No new licensing rules, lists, or deadlines were announced; the answer describes how existing approvals will be administered and signals continuity rather than change.

The wording ties rare earth supply to reciprocal treatment in dual-use trade, so future licensing speed may depend on how the EU handles Chinese priority applications.