Wed, 15 Oct 2025

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 US blasts China as 'unreliable' as trade tensions mount

Top Trump administration officials, in an unusual staged attack, called China's plans to curb exports of rare earths "economic coercion".
US officials have accused China of betraying a trade truce by imposing export controls on rare earths, lithium batteries, and graphite, which are critical for advanced tech manufacturing. The US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized China's move as "economic coercion" and a "global supply chain power grab", warning that it could lead to a decoupling of the global economy if not resolved. China processes around 90% of the world's rare earths and magnets, making its dominance a key point of vulnerability in trade talks for the US. The new rules require foreign companies to obtain approval from the Chinese government before exporting products containing even small amounts of rare earths, which could significantly impact global tech supply chains. In response, the US has threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on imports from China starting next month and is drafting export controls on critical software. The countries are also charging new port fees on each other's ships. The flare-up in trade tensions ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has raised fears about a break in the fragile truce between the trading partners that has held since May, potentially leading to an all-out trade war. US officials left the door open to negotiation, questioning whether China would ultimately implement its export controls. However, they emphasized that the move by Beijing is "unacceptable" and "highly provocative".
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