Rubbish Check
CNBC Finance · 15 October 2026
source“China indicates rare earths will keep flowing to EU, regardless of U.S. trade deal expiration”
R3/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
12345678910
In short
Rubbish Talk rates CNBC's headline that China will keep rare earths "flowing to EU, regardless of" the U.S. deal expiring a 3/10, because the word "regardless" glosses over the fact China's offer is tied to a reciprocal ask on dual-use export approvals, not an unconditional guarantee.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. The core quote checks out against the spokesperson's own words, but "regardless" implies no strings attached when the same article reports Beijing is simultaneously asking Brussels to loosen its own licensing for Chinese dual-use imports. That's a trade-off dressed up as a one-way concession.
What actually happened
China's Commerce Ministry spokesperson told CNBC China is willing to continue approving rare earth licenses to Europe, when asked about the impact of the upcoming U.S. deadline. The statement follows a thaw after European trade commissioner Maroš Sefčovič met with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing last week, with China saying it was willing to use a "green channel" mechanism to keep rare earths flowing to Europe, while asking the bloc to support China's imports of certain products in dual-use sectors.
Key facts
- China's October 2025 restrictions covered all exports of rare earths, including products with even just 0.1% of China-sourced rare earths, following a new U.S. rule expanding the entity list to majority-owned subsidiaries of Chinese companies, potentially affecting some 20,000 Chinese entities.
- Both sides agreed to suspend those measures for one year at a meeting in late October 2025 between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, and that truce was extended by two months to January, per Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
- The EU pledge comes with a condition: China is asking the bloc to support China's imports of certain products in dual-use sectors in exchange for the green-channel treatment.
- European Commission leaders are meeting in Brussels this Thursday and Friday to review details of the trade negotiations with China.
What to watch for
Watch whether "willing to continue approving licenses" turns into a formal, binding green-channel agreement at the Brussels summit, or stays a verbal assurance that can be revoked license-by-license. Also watch what the EU gives up on dual-use export approvals to Chinese firms; that's the real price tag the headline leaves out.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
