Shipments of seven rare earths placed on an export control have ground to halt, three sources said, raising the risk of shortages overseas as Chinese exporters begin the long, uncertain wait for government licenses.

Shipments stopped on April 4, the sources familiar with the matter said, when Beijing restricted the export of seven rare earths and related material used across the defense, energy and automotive industries as part of its retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes on Chinese goods

Exporters must now apply to the Ministry of Commerce for licenses, a relatively opaque process that can range from six or seven weeks to several months. Reuters reported last month there had been no antimony exports to European Union countries since China put the metal on a control list
"When asked by my clients when their cargoes will be able to leave China, we give them an estimated time of 60 days but it may actually take longer than that," said a China rare earth tr