China supplies 68.8 percent of U.S. permanent-magnet imports
Across all rare-earth focus products, China's share has more than doubled since 2005, to 46.6 percent, the opposite of the trend in technology hardware.
China supplies more than two-thirds of U.S. permanent-magnet imports
Exhibit 1. U.S. imports by product group, 2024, US dollars, with China-origin share
Source: CEPII BACI HS02 (V202601); Symbiosis United Analytics analysis.
At a glance
- China supplies almost half of U.S. imports. China-origin imports were $636.5 million of $1.37 billion in 2024 — 46.6 percent, up from 20.8 percent in 2005.
- Magnets are where dependence concentrates. China supplies 68.8 percent of U.S. permanent-magnet imports and 67.4 percent of rare-earth compounds.
- China's reach is global. China exported $5.46 billion of these products in 2024, 39.3 percent of world trade; shipments to allied economies alone totalled $3.78 billion.
- A small flow with a large footprint. Input-output modelling links the China-origin imports to a $1.01 billion footprint in U.S. production (1.58 times), with $410.8 million of value added.
Context
Rare earths are a small direct trade line and a large industrial coordination constraint. The inputs in this screen — rare-earth metals and compounds, permanent magnets, and electromagnets and magnet assemblies — sit upstream of motor vehicles, electrical equipment, machinery, electronics, aerospace and defence-adjacent production.
The report measures China's position in U.S. imports of seven HS6 products, traces the exposure into U.S. production with input-output tables, and sizes the market a qualified non-Chinese supplier could address.
Where dependence sits
Permanent magnets ($608.2 million) and magnet assemblies ($582.1 million) make up most of U.S. imports. China's share is 68.8 percent in permanent magnets and 67.4 percent in rare-earth compounds, but only 16.9 percent in magnet assemblies.
China's rising share
Across the five years sampled, China's share rose from 20.8 percent in 2005 to 43.3 percent in 2010, held between 41.6 and 42.9 percent in 2015 and 2020, and reached 46.6 percent in 2024. China-origin imports grew from $189.5 million to $636.5 million — the opposite of the decline seen in technology hardware.
China's share of U.S. rare-earth imports more than doubled between 2005 and 2024
Exhibit 2. China-origin share of U.S. imports of the screened products, sampled years 2005–2024
Note: Values for 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI HS02 (V202601); Symbiosis United Analytics analysis.
Who supplies the U.S.
China supplies 4.4 times as much as Mexico, the next origin. Mexico, Japan and Germany follow with 10.7, 7.8 and 7.2 percent of U.S. imports; no other origin reaches 3 percent.
China supplies more than four times as much as Mexico, the next-largest origin
Exhibit 3. U.S. imports by origin, eight largest origins, 2024, US dollars and share of total
Source: CEPII BACI HS02 (V202601); Symbiosis United Analytics analysis.
Downstream exposure
Input-output modelling allocates the $636.5 million of China-origin imports to the U.S. sectors that use them. The resulting footprint is $1.01 billion, with $410.8 million of value added, concentrated in motor vehicles, chemicals, fabricated metals and machinery.
Motor vehicles carry the largest modelled footprint of China-origin rare-earth inputs
Exhibit 4. Modelled downstream footprint by U.S. production sector, eight largest, US dollars
Note: Modelled with OECD input-output tables; a screen for diligence, not a forecast.
Source: OECD ICIO, 2023 edition (2020 table); CEPII BACI HS02 (V202601); Symbiosis United Analytics analysis.
Implications for decision-makers
The prize is qualified supply, not ore.
Capturing demand depends on producing separated products and magnets at the grade, geometry, delivery cadence and contract terms that downstream manufacturers require.
Look beyond the U.S. import pool.
China's shipments to allied economies are several times its shipments to the United States; that larger pool is where a qualified non-Chinese supplier of record can compete.
Map products to qualification.
The next step is a product-by-product map linking material grade, origin rules, customer approval, offtake horizon and working-capital need.
About this research
This report is part of our independent public research. It was self-funded and was not commissioned or funded by any company, government or client. Edition 1.0 — 29 May 2026, first publication.
Symbiosis United Analytics (2026). Rare Earth GVC Transition. Actionable Insight Report 002, edition 1.0. https://symbiosisunited.com/research/air-002/