4,000 Kilograms of Chinese Yttrium Oxide Shipped to Japan in September Amid Supply Squeeze
Key Facts
China shipped 4,000 kilograms of yttrium oxide to Japan in September 2026, compared with 51,000 kilograms in the same month a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data cited by The Japan Times. The difference shows the flow of the material to Japan contracting over a year, as China imposes tighter controls on exports of dual-use goods. An official at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said yttrium exports had “stopped not only to Japan, but globally,” citing a supply-demand imbalance and rising prices. That puts September’s shipments in the context of broader supply pressure extending beyond a single Japanese destination. The material is used in heat-resistant coatings that protect jet-engine turbine blades, power-plant components and semiconductor manufacturing tools, according to Reuters.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said dual-use controls prevent approval of export applications involving Japanese military end users, military purposes or uses that could enhance Japan’s military capabilities. The ministry described the measures’ aim as curbing what it calls Tokyo’s attempts to “rearm” and acquire nuclear weapons. It added that the measures apply to dual-use goods and do not affect normal trade and economic exchanges between the two countries. On February 24, 2026, the ministry announced that it had added 20 Japanese entities to its restricted list and 20 entities to its watch list. These steps provide a broader regulatory framework for the restrictions, while customs data show the actual level of yttrium oxide shipments to Japan.
Reuters reported in May that exports of heavy rare earths from China to Japan, including yttrium oxide, had stopped since December, with the exception of a few small shipments of the material. An official at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Tokyo was releasing stockpiled supplies as needed, but did not disclose details of those stocks. Reuters reported that Japanese companies built inventories after a similar slowdown in Chinese exports in 2010, giving them some room to withstand current pressures. TDK said it did not expect a significant immediate impact and was working to diversify its supply sources. These measures remain tied to managing supplies and seeking alternative sources, while shipment figures alone do not reveal the size of inventories available to companies.
U.S. Geological Survey data show that China exported about 1,600 tonnes of yttrium compounds and metal, in yttrium oxide equivalent, in 2025, with Japan as the top destination. In another part of the trade, Chinese exports of yttrium oxide to the United States reached 29 metric tons in July 2026, the second-highest monthly volume since export controls were imposed, according to Reuters. The agency said supplies to the United States improved in July, while exports to Japan remained heavily restricted. On September 10, U.S. and Japanese officials and companies discussed bottlenecks in Chinese yttrium supplies and ways to strengthen supply-chain resilience. A statement on the meeting, held two weeks before the then-anticipated U.S.-China summit, described it as enabling a candid discussion of current and emerging bottlenecks, with a particular focus on permanent-magnet and yttrium supply chains.