Musk: The Optimus robot was affected by Chinese restrictions on rare metal exports

The production of human -like Optimos robots was influenced by the restrictions imposed by China on the rare ground elements.

The richest man in the world, he added during a remote conference to announce profits on Tuesday, that China wants guarantees that the magnes made of rare ground elements is not used for military purposes, and that the auto company is working with Beijing to obtain an export license to use it.

China imposed this month restrictions on the export of rare minerals as part of its comprehensive response to American customs duties, which led to the restriction of the supplies of minerals used to make weapons and electronics and a group of consumer goods.

Musk said: “China wants some guarantees that these magnets will not be used for military purposes, and this is definitely the case, it will only enter a human -like robot, it is not a weapon.”

Analysts mentioned that export restrictions not only include minerals extracted from mines, but also include magnets and other final products that will be difficult to replace.

Exporters will now have to apply to the Ministry of Commerce to obtain licenses, which is a relatively mysterious process and can take between 6 weeks to several months.