Shares of U.S. rare earth producers slipped slightly in premarket trading on Monday after reports that China plans to lift some of its additional export restrictions on critical minerals, following diplomatic progress between Washington and Beijing.
Critical Metals (NASDAQ:CRML), Energy Fuels (AMEX:UUUU), United States Antimony Corporation (AMEX:UAMY), and NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) all traded lower ahead of the opening bell.
According to Bloomberg News, the Trump administration announced over the weekend that China will suspend expanded export controls on rare earth metals, which are essential for products ranging from electric vehicles to consumer appliances. The decision also includes an agreement by Beijing to end investigations into U.S. firms connected to the global semiconductor supply chain.
The move followed direct talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea last week, which concluded with Trump agreeing to pause new reciprocal tariffs and delay a plan to raise existing duties on Chinese imports to 100%. The U.S. also pledged to ease restrictions on Chinese companies and cut fentanyl-related tariffs to 10% from 20%.
In return, China agreed to scale back its broad restrictions on rare-earth magnets and resume issuing export licenses for key materials such as gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite, easing several long-standing curbs, according to Bloomberg.
Beijing also announced plans to restart purchases of U.S. soybeans, a move that could bring relief to American farmers impacted by the trade tensions.
Despite this potential reopening of Chinese supply, Washington has been pushing to diversify and secure domestic sources of rare earths as part of its strategy to reduce reliance on China. The effort has supported strong gains in U.S.-based producers throughout 2025, with MP Materials (NYSE:MP) climbing over 280% and Lithium Americas (NYSE:LAC) rising more than 79% year to date.
United States Antimony Corporation stock price