Chinese exports of rare earth magnets in the first two months of 2026 rose 8.2% from the same period the year before, customs data showed on Friday, ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies. Outbound shipments from the world's largest producer of rare earth magnets used in everything from cellphones to automotives to defence sectors stood at 10,763 metric tons between January and February, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.