July 7 (Reuters) - China's export restrictions on rare earths brought parts of the global auto supply chain to a halt and U.S. President Donald Trump to the negotiating table. But at home, they're a big headache for companies already struggling with a slow economy.

Beijing's recent export controls on rare earths have spurred a flurry of international efforts to diversify supply chains and reduce China's long-standing dominance in critical minerals. In June, the Ministry of Commerce announced that it would approve qualified export applications and was open to discussions with other countries regarding the

Low environmental standards helped China become the world’s low-cost producer of rare earths, but Beijing was also focused on helping the industry.