Chinese authorities have issued temporary export licenses to companies supplying rare earth metals to Detroit’s “big three” automakers, Ford Motor, General Motors, and Stellantis, Reuters reports, citing informed sources.
At least some of these licenses are valid for six months. The specific metals and volumes covered by the licenses have not been disclosed.
In April, China decided to restrict exports of a wide range of rare earth metals. The country accounts for about 90% of global rare earth metal production.
In May, Ford was forced to halt production of its Explorer SUVs at its Chicago plant for a week due to a shortage of these metals.
US President Donald Trump, who spoke by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping the day before, expressed hope that trade in rare earth metals would return to normal.
According to one of Reuters’ sources, last week the Chinese authorities also issued export permits to suppliers of one of the US electronics companies, and this week to suppliers of a US non-automotive company.
Ford shares rose 2% in Friday trading, GM shares rose 0.9%. Stellantis shares added 2.4% in New York.
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with the Belt and Road Trade and Investment Promotion Center in Ukraine, organized a bilateral business event.
The event, held on May 22, 2025, brought together hundreds of representatives of Ukrainian and Chinese companies interested in establishing direct cooperation at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“China remains Ukraine’s main trading partner. Despite the distance, complex logistics, and tensions, cooperation between companies continues. This is because many sectors of the Ukrainian economy need affordable Chinese imports. And the Chinese market needs Ukrainian products. I hope that the business dialogue will be a prelude to deeper mutual understanding at all levels,” said Gennady Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during the opening of the forum.
The Chinese delegation included representatives of 11 Chinese companies. Among them were manufacturers of building materials and thermal insulation solutions; packaging and food equipment; consumer electronics and household goods; pharmaceutical products, electric vehicles, rehabilitation equipment, and prosthetics; companies providing logistics, tourism, consulting services, green energy, and agricultural technology.
Business representatives took part in B2B negotiations with potential partners. Chinese entrepreneurs expressed interest in investment activities in most sectors of Ukraine’s economy.
Interfax-Ukraine is the information partner of the forum.
On June 1, 2025, the Agreement on the mutual abolition of visas between Uzbekistan and China will come into force.
Under the Agreement, citizens of the Parties shall be exempt from visa requirements for entry, exit, or transit through the territories of both countries for a period of up to 30 days for each separate stay and a total of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
At the same time, the period of each entry and stay in the territory of the Parties shall not exceed 30 days.
The visa-free regime does not apply to employment, study, media activities, or other activities that require prior approval by the competent authorities of the other Party.
Ukraine has extended anti-dumping duties on imports of cement from Moldova, Russia, and Belarus, as well as coated rolled metal products from China and Russia, for five years. According to a statement released by the
Ministry of Economy on Thursday, the decision was made by the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade (ICIT) on May 21, 2025, following appeals from Ukrainian companies.
“If you are a manufacturer and face aggressive non-market competition, please contact the Ministry of Economy to initiate anti-dumping investigations. Ukraine adheres to the principles of openness but is ready to protect its market in accordance with WTO rules,” the release quotes First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko as saying.
As reported, in 2019, the ICIT imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of cement clinker and Portland cement to Ukraine under codes 2523 10 and 2523 29, at the following rates: 57.03% on cement from Belarus; 94.46% on cement from Moldova; 114.95% on cement from Russia. The duties were imposed for a period of five years. In May last year, at the request of Dickerhoff Cement Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivskcement, supported by
Kryvyi Rih Cement, the ICIT initiated a review of these duties, which extended their validity for up to one year.
As it became known at the conference “Trade Wars: The Art of Defense,” organized by Ilyashev & Partners in Kyiv this week, Lafarge Ciment (Moldova) SA offered voluntary price restrictions in order to return to the
Ukrainian market. Market participants called for the proposed prices to be made public.
As for imports into Ukraine of certain types of rolled steel with anti-corrosion coating originating from Russia and China, anti-dumping measures were introduced in 2019 for five years for manufacturers/exporters of goods from Russia at a rate of 47.57% and from China at a rate of 22.78%. In May last year, at the request of PJSC Mariupol Metallurgical Plant named after Ilyich and LLC Unistil, the MCMT launched a new investigation as part of a review of these duties.
BELARUS, CEMENT, CHINA, IMPORT, MOLDOVA, rolled metal, RUSSIA
Imports of transformers, inductors, and chokes to Ukraine in January-April 2025 increased 2.5 times compared to the same period in 2024, reaching $338 million, according to statistics from the State Customs Service.
According to published data, during this period, products were imported mainly from China, worth $279 million (82.5% of all imports of these goods), while a year earlier, transformers and chokes worth $66.1 million (48.4%) were imported from this country, i.e., imports increased 4.2 times.
In addition, transformers were imported from Germany ($17.4 million) and Turkey ($13.9 million), while in January-April 2024, imports from Turkey amounted to $37.1 million, and from Italy – almost $5 million. In particular, in April, imports of this equipment increased by 50% compared to the same month last year, but decreased by 22.3% compared to March this year, to $55.2 million. China’s share was 48.7%.
At the same time, Ukraine exported transformers, inductors, and chokes worth $8.37 million in the first four months of this year, compared to $5.64 million last year, mainly to Germany, Hungary, and Poland.
According to the State Customs Service, imports of transformers, inductance coils, and chokes in 2024 more than doubled compared to 2023, reaching $596.11 million, with imports from China increasing 2.5 times to $400.48 million.
In the Suzak district of the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan, construction has officially begun on major railway facilities for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.
As part of the construction of this railway, three tunnels with a total length of over 10 km are planned to be built, including: Tunnel No. 1 Naryn (Jaman-Dawan) – 12.5 km; Koshtoba (Kazarman) tunnel – 13.2 km; Fergana mountain tunnel – 12.2 km. The total length of this railway project is 532.53 km.
CHINA, CONSTRUCTION, KYRGYZSTAN, RAILWAY, tunnels, UZBEKISTAN
