Tesla Inc.’s production of Optimus, a robot that promises to take over household chores, has been disrupted by China’s curbs on rare earth exports, introduced by Beijing earlier this month in an escalating trade war with Washington. Speaking on the company’s earnings call on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said production was impacted by the “magnet issue”. While weeks of delays are expected as exporters grapple with tighter permit requirements for the key ingredients, Tesla is one of the highest-profile buyers so far to flag the direct consequence of the change. “We’re working through that with China. Hopefully, we’ll get a license to use the rare-earth magnets,” said Musk, who is also an adviser to the White House. “China wants some assurances that these are not used for military purposes, which obviously they’re not. They’re just going into a humanoid robot.”

Full report : Musk says Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots affected by China’s export curbs on rare earths.