In a fiery Truth Social post, U.S. President Donald J. Trump accused China of unleashing “great Trade hostility” by imposing sweeping export controls on rare earth minerals and other critical production elements, vowing to respond with a “massive increase” in tariffs on Chinese imports. The outburst comes just days after Beijing dramatically tightened restrictions on these vital resources, heightening fears of a renewed escalation in the U.S.-China trade conflict that has already rippled across the globe.
Trump’s post paints a picture of betrayal, claiming the U.S.-China relationship had been “very good” for the past six months before this “surprising” move. “They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of,” Trump wrote, describing the actions as a “sinister and hostile move” designed to hold the world “captive” by clogging global markets.
Trump added, “Nobody has ever seen anything like this but, essentially, it would “clog” the Markets, and make life difficult for virtually every Country in the World, especially for China. We have been contacted by other Countries who are extremely angry at this great Trade hostility, which came out of nowhere. Our relationship with China over the past six months has been a very good one, thereby making this move on Trade an even more surprising one.”
The U.S. President then said, “Our relationship with China over the past six months has been a very good one, thereby making this move on Trade an even more surprising one. I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right! There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World “captive,” but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time, starting with the “Magnets” and, other Elements that they have quietly amassed into somewhat of a Monopoly position, a rather sinister and hostile move, to say the least.”
He claimed that other nations have reached out to the U.S. in anger and announced the cancellation of a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea in two weeks, questioning whether the timing, coinciding with recent Hamas-Israel peace developments, was coincidental. He said, “I have not spoken to President Xi because there was no reason to do so. This was a real surprise, not only to me, but to all the Leaders of the Free World. I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so.”
The president asserted that while China holds monopoly on rare earth minerals, the U.S. holds “much stronger and more far reaching” monopoly positions on key elements than China and warned that he would be “forced… to financially counter their move.” He claimed, “For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two.”
Among the countermeasures under consideration: a sharp hike in tariffs on Chinese goods entering the U.S., alongside other unspecified actions. “I never thought it would come to this but perhaps, as with all things, the time has come. Ultimately, though potentially painful, it will be a very good thing, in the end, for the U.S.A. One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America. There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.” Trump said, concluding with , “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
China’s Rare Earth Export Control
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced the expanded controls on October 9, adding five new rare earth elements to its export restriction list and imposing extra scrutiny on shipments to semiconductor and defence users. The measures, effective immediately, also target refining technologies and require foreign producers using Chinese materials to obtain licenses, effectively barring companies affiliated with foreign militaries, including U.S. firms, from routine access.
This builds on April’s restrictions under Announcement 18, which curbed seven of the 17 rare earth types and related magnets in direct retaliation to U.S. tariffs, causing global shortages that forced U.S. manufacturers to shutter production lines. Beijing justified the curbs as safeguarding “national security,” it has been seen as leverage ahead of high-stakes U.S.-China talks, exacerbating Beijing’s near-monopoly (about 70% of global supply) on these metals, essential for everything from electric vehicle batteries to fighter jets and computer chips.
Trump’s Tariff War
While Trump is accusing China of trade hostilities, it was he who started the trade war against virtually every country in the world after becoming U.S. President for the second time. Since April 5, a universal 10% tariff has applied to imports from all countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), justified as addressing “non-reciprocal” trade deficits and national security threats like fentanyl trafficking. Higher “reciprocal” rates, up to 50% or more, followed on August 7 for over 90 nations, including the European Union (minimum 15%), India (doubled to 50% over Russian oil ties), Canada (25% on autos and steel), and Mexico (25% amid border disputes). These have escalated the U.S.-China trade war to extreme levels, with American tariffs on Chinese goods reaching 145% and Beijing retaliating at 125% on U.S. agricultural and dairy products.
