42 h. ago China’s rare earth magnet exports to US plunge 29% as tensions simmer

The decline in China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the United States accelerated in September – a period predating Beijing’s expansion of controls over the flow of the critical minerals – an indication the prized items remain a major battleground in the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies. China’s total exports to the US of the permanent magnets – essential components in manufacturing for several hi-tech industries, including electric vehicles and defence – reached...

Events

4 d. ago China’s rare earth export controls have gone global. Can it enforce them?

As more countries begin formulating contingency plans for their stocks of rare earth elements, analysts said China’s tightening control over its near-monopoly status in the supply and refining capacity of the minerals – an action taken as part of Beijing’s broader trade conflict with the US – could face challenges in enforcement. Last week, China announced a sweeping expansion of its export control regime as it relates to rare earth elements – raw materials that are crucial components in the...

Politics

9 d. ago Sending a message: Beijing issues documents without Word format amid US tensions

China’s expansion of its rare earth export controls appeared to mark another escalation in the US-China trade war last week. But the announcements were also significant in another way: unusually, the documents could not be opened using American word processing software. For the first time, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a slew of documents that could be directly accessed only through WPS Office – China’s answer to Microsoft Office – as Beijing continues its tech self-reliance...

Events

9 d. ago USTR says China 'deferred' when US reached out for phone call after export controls expansion

USTR says China 'deferred' when US reached out for phone call after export controls expansion  Reuters

Politics

9 d. ago US trade envoy says China ‘deferred’ when US tried to discuss export controls

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Sunday that the US reached out to China for a phone call following an announcement that it was expanding its rare earths export controls but Beijing deferred. “I can tell you that we were not notified, and quickly, as soon as we found out from public sources, we reached out to the Chinese to have a phone call, and they deferred,” Greer told Fox News’ Sunday Briefing, while calling China’s move “a power grab”. US President Donald Trump responded on...

Politics

9 d. ago US trade envoy says China ‘deferred’ when US tried to discuss export controls expansion

US trade envoy says China ‘deferred’ when US tried to discuss export controls expansion  South China Morning Post

Politics

9 d. ago US trade envoy Jamieson Greer calls China’s new rare earths curb a ‘power grab’

The outlook for US-China relations appeared to hit another snag on Sunday when the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that China had rebuffed an attempt to communicate, even as US President Donald Trump appeared to downplay the ongoing trade differences. This follows Trump’s threat on Friday to impose an extra 100 per cent tariff on all Chinese goods starting November 1 and to curb the export of “any and all critical software”, a doubling down on his China trade policy a day after...

Politics