Trade minister Akihiro Ohata said Tuesday that China allowed rare earth metals to be exported to a Japanese firm in Malaysia on Monday but added he has not obtained information that Japan-bound exports of the important metals have fully resumed.
As part of efforts to get to the bottom of the situation, which emerged amid growing tensions between Japan and China over the Senkaku dispute, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said separately that Japan sent a letter to China on Monday.
The letter also called on Beijing to appropriately handle its customs clearance procedures.