China's rare earth exports fall sharply in September

China's rare earth exports fell 31 percent in September from a month earlier, customs data showed on Monday, as new controls put in place last week threatened a trade truce with Washington.

China, the world's largest exporter of rare earths, sold 4,000.3 tonnes of rare earths in September, down 30.9 percent from August, marking the lowest level since February, figures from the General Administration of Customs of China showed.

Rare earths are a family of 17 elements and it is unclear what types of exports have fallen or which countries were most affected because Monday's data was provided in aggregate. A more complete breakdown will be released on Oct. 20.

China's exports of rare earths fell sharply in April after it imposed export restrictions in response to U.S. tariffs. Shipments recovered steadily until June, when they hit an all-time high, though they have fallen every month since then.

China's decision to expand its rare earth export controls on Friday led U.S. President Donald Trump to promise that new tariffs were coming for Beijing.

REUTERS