--- title: "Malaysia’s decision to ease rare-earth export restrictions will give US-backed companies greater access, challenging Australian producer Lynas." description: "In October 2026, Malaysia eased its ban on raw rare-earth exports, allowing shipments for research or processing. Since the ban began in January 2024, only a Chinese-linked pilot project in Perak had " url: "https://bilby.ai/predictions/p/192/malaysia-s-decision-to-ease-rare-earth-export-restrictions-will-give-us-backed-c" markdown: "https://bilby.ai/predictions/p/192/malaysia-s-decision-to-ease-rare-earth-export-restrictions-will-give-us-backed-c.md" index: "https://bilby.ai/llms.txt" --- > For agents: Bilby answers questions about what governments do, from documents collected at source and checked by research analysts. To ask Bilby yourself, connect to its MCP server at https://pulse.bilby.ai/mcp (setup: https://docs.bilby.ai/developers/mcp-server). Every page on this site is also markdown: add .md to its address, or send Accept: text/markdown. https://bilby.ai/llms.txt lists them all. # Malaysia’s decision to ease rare-earth export restrictions will give US-backed companies greater access, challenging Australian producer Lynas. - **Made:** 28 Oct 2026 - **By:** Owen Bae - **Market:** Malaysia - **Outcome:** Unresolved In October 2026, Malaysia eased its ban on raw rare-earth exports, allowing shipments for research or processing. Since the ban began in January 2024, only a Chinese-linked pilot project in Perak had received an exemption. The new rules require exporters to commit to processing rare earths locally, encouraging investment in Malaysian refineries. On 27 October, DTEC Mineral and Metal Technology received the first permit under the new rules, covering up to 700 tonnes of rare-earth carbonate. US investors own 51% of DTEC, and the US Export-Import Bank has expressed support for up to US$650 million in financing. Meanwhile, Lynas earned A$977.9 million in FY2026 and is investing A$294 million to expand heavy rare-earth production. However, it still relies mainly on raw materials from Australia. DTEC’s early access to Malaysian supplies could therefore push Lynas to secure local sources faster, as more US companies enter the market and compete for export permits. ![Actors and decision makers in Malaysia’s rare earth export policy](https://cms.bilby.ai/api/media/file/adt-2026-10-28-prediction-192.png?prefix=cms-media) [Ask Bilby about this prediction](https://pulse.bilby.ai/?prompt=Malaysia%E2%80%99s%20decision%20to%20ease%20rare-earth%20export%20restrictions%20will%20give%20US-backed%20companies%20greater%20access%2C%20challenging%20Australian%20producer%20Lynas.) ## Ask Bilby about it Carry the prediction into a question: what has changed since, who decides, and who is exposed. - [What has changed since it was made?](https://pulse.bilby.ai/?prompt=What%20has%20changed%20since%20Bilby%20predicted%20this%3F%20Malaysia%E2%80%99s%20decision%20to%20ease%20rare-earth%20export%20restrictions%20will%20give%20US-backed%20companies%20greater%20access%2C%20challenging%20Australian%20producer%20Lynas.) - [Who decides whether it happens?](https://pulse.bilby.ai/?prompt=Who%20decides%20whether%20this%20happens%3F%20Malaysia%E2%80%99s%20decision%20to%20ease%20rare-earth%20export%20restrictions%20will%20give%20US-backed%20companies%20greater%20access%2C%20challenging%20Australian%20producer%20Lynas.) - [Who gains and who loses if it does?](https://pulse.bilby.ai/?prompt=Who%20gains%20and%20who%20loses%20if%20this%20happens%3F%20Malaysia%E2%80%99s%20decision%20to%20ease%20rare-earth%20export%20restrictions%20will%20give%20US-backed%20companies%20greater%20access%2C%20challenging%20Australian%20producer%20Lynas.) ## More from Malaysia 4 predictions on Malaysia so far, newest first. - 10 Nov 2026 · [NVIDIA will win AI GPU orders for SoftBank’s Sarawak campus worth US$500 million.](https://bilby.ai/predictions/p/212/nvidia-will-win-ai-gpu-orders-for-softbank-s-sarawak-campus-worth-us-500-million) · Unresolved - 28 Oct 2026 · [Malaysia’s AI investment boom will tilt towards Sarawak as Johor struggles to secure power.](https://bilby.ai/predictions/p/193/malaysia-s-ai-investment-boom-will-tilt-towards-sarawak-as-johor-struggles-to-se) · Unresolved - 11 Sep 2026 · [Malaysia's approved Indian-linked manufacturing portfolio will cross US$3.5 billion by mid-2027, but the additional growth will come disproportionately from transport and metals projects rather than pharmaceuticals or renewables.](https://bilby.ai/predictions/p/98/malaysia-s-approved-indian-linked-manufacturing-portfolio-will-cross-us-3-5-bill) · Unresolved [All 4 from Malaysia](https://bilby.ai/predictions/log?tag=malaysia) · Marked true or false when each resolves ## See what we’re seeing next. New predictions in the Asia Daily Take, free every weekday, and in Bilby whenever you have a question. [Get the Asia Daily Take](https://bilby.ai/asia#asia-daily-take) · [Try Bilby](https://pulse.bilby.ai/sign-up)