China defies Trump, tightens controls on rare earth exports; US officials furious
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone
China’s move to curb rare earth exports has angered US officials. They strongly criticized Beijing for increasing controls on the export of these minerals, saying it could threaten global supply chains.
US officials said China could still reverse its stance. Doing so could potentially avoid tougher US measures. Without rare earth minerals, production of everything from electric vehicles to aircraft could be severely affected.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters on Wednesday that China’s new export restrictions amount to a takeover of the global supply chain and that the US and its allies would not accept these restrictions. However, he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant also made it clear that Washington does not want to escalate the conflict.
Greer pointed out that China has not yet implemented revised regulations on rare earths and could still back down, just as the US has not imposed $100 tariffs on Chinese imports.
