China has been accelerating the approval process for rare earth export licenses in accordance with its laws and regulations, including for European companies. The Chinese Commerce Ministry has emphasized its commitment to strengthening and expediting the review of compliant rare earth export license applications. However, recent reports indicate that China is shortening the approval process specifically for European firms, effectively limiting the number of rare earth export permissions granted to these companies. Meanwhile, U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick confirmed that China has been swiftly approving rare earth licenses and noted that the United States has removed certain countermeasures on China. He also mentioned ongoing studies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors expected to conclude by the end of the month.