Rare Earth Threat Averted: China Agrees to Pause Curbs in US Deal

The immediate threat of a rare earth supply crisis has been averted after China agreed to pause new export curbs as part of a one-year deal with the US. The agreement was reached in a meeting between President Xi and President Trump.
Trump, who had threatened a 100% import tax over China’s rare earth dominance, confirmed that Beijing would not tighten restrictions on the materials or the technology to process them.
This concession was part of a larger pact. In return, the US agreed to slash some tariffs and export controls. China also committed to purchasing US soybeans.
Furthermore, the US agreed to postpone a new measure for one year that would have blocked thousands of Chinese firms from accessing US technology if they were partly owned by a sanctioned company, a rule China strongly opposed.
Speaking at the APEC forum in Gyeongju, South Korea, President Xi celebrated the return to dialogue. He called for “genuine multilateralism” and warned against “breaking supply chains.”