A mockup of Tesla Inc.’s planned humanoid robot Optimus on display during the Seoul Mobility Show in Goyang, South Korea, on Thursday, March 30, 2023. The motor show will continue through April 9. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk says China’s new trade restrictions on rare earth magnets have affected the production of the company’s Optimus humanoid robots, which rely on the exports.
Speaking on a Tesla earnings call on Tuesday, Musk said that the company was working through the issue with Beijing and hoped to get approval to access the critical resources.
China, earlier this month, imposed new export controls on seven rare earth elements and magnets used in everything from defense to energy to automotive technologies. The move was in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating tariffs.
According to Musk, Beijing has asked Tesla to guarantee that the rare earth magnets under expert control will not be used for military purposes.
“China wants some assurances that these aren’t used for military purposes, which obviously they’re not. They’re just going into a humanoid robot,” he said.
The new restrictions, which have raised the risk of global shortages, require exporters of medium and heavy rare earths in question to receive licenses from China’s Ministry of Commerce.
China dominates the market for many of these rare earths, with the U.S. unprepared to fill a potential shortfall, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has into potential new tariffs on all U.S. imports of critical minerals in response to China’s export controls.
Future growth at risk?
During the earnings call on Tuesday, Musk emphasized the importance of humanoid robots to the company’s future plans.
“The future of the company is fundamentally based upon large scale autonomous cars and large scale, large volume and vast numbers of autonomous humanoid robots,” he said.
Previously, Musk had announced plans for Optimus to produce about 5,000 units this year as the technology grows as part of Tesla’s future business plans. Moreover, he said that Tesla would deploy the robots in its EV factories.
It’s unclear to what extent export controls might alter these plans. However, Musk reassured investors on Tuesday that the company still plans to produce thousands of robots this year, with thousands also expected to be deployed at Tesla factories.
The emerging technology could help Tesla drive some investor optimism as its EV business struggles, with its stock down about 37% year-to-date.
Steve Westly, founder and managing partner of The Westly Group and former Tesla Board member, told CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell Overtime’ on Tuesday that the company needs to find a new growth engine soon.
The company is expected to face stiff competition from other humanoid robot players in China, such as Unitree Robotics and AgiBot, both of which reportedly plan to enter mass production this year. The export controls could give the Chinese players another advantage over their U.S. competitors, according to some analysts.
While Musk is upbeat about Tesla’s prospects in the space, going so far as to claim that it is ahead of the competition, he is concerned that the leaderboard will be filled with Chinese companies.
