# Japan builds Southeast Asian mineral route to bypass China export curbs

*METI secured alternate processing routes in Vietnam and Malaysia after Chinese export licensing restricted shipments of dysprosium, terbium and yttrium.*

**Published:** November 12, 2026  
**By:** Mina Okoro  
**Section:** Analysis & Comparison — Cross-border  
**Format:** Asia Compare  
**Confidence:** high  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/analysis/japan-builds-southeast-asian-mineral-route-bypass-china-export-1349  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Vietnam holds 22 million metric tons of rare earths or 18% of global reserves
- Tanaka Kikinzoku books 70% of 1 trillion yen revenue from industrial materials
- Bilateral technical committee convenes in first quarter 2027 to set project rules

![A technician wearing safety glasses monitors an illuminated processing chamber inside a manufacturing facility. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-11-11-89c1c8cf7cf7.webp)
*A technician wearing safety glasses monitors an illuminated processing chamber inside a manufacturing facility. (AI-generated image)*

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expanded supply-chain pacts across Southeast Asia on Nov. 11, coordinating with domestic manufacturers to build alternative processing channels outside China.

The initiative responds to Chinese export licensing controls that restricted outbound shipments of dysprosium, terbium and yttrium earlier this year. Japanese magnet and semiconductor material makers rely heavily on those three elements.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Japan builds Southeast Asian mineral route to bypass China export curbs," November 12, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/analysis/japan-builds-southeast-asian-mineral-route-bypass-china-export-1349