<h1>Regional bloc and major exporter agree 12-month suspension of export controls and launch talks on critical minerals licensing</h1> A regional economic bloc and a major exporting country agreed to stabilize trade in critical minerals after the exporting country suspended its recent export controls for 12 months and the parties opened talks on an export licensing system. The bloc seeks a durable, rules-based mechanism to secure supply chains for high-tech and defense-related goods and to improve implementation of export-control regimes, while addressing a significant trade imbalance. The agreement signals continued bilateral engagement to reconcile domestic export-control measures with international trade obligations and to reduce disruption risks for downstream industries.