Despite Trump-Xi deal, China's rare earth magnet exports to US remain low
China's exports of rare-earth magnets to the U.S. remain significantly below pre-trade conflict levels despite a truce between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. U.S. officials express concern over China's compliance with supply agreements, though the administration has avoided escalating the issue.
Why it matters
Rare-earth magnets are critical for defense, electric vehicles, and automation, making U.S. dependency on Chinese supply chains a major national security and economic vulnerability.
China's exports of rare-earth magnets to the United States continue to remain significantly below levels recorded before the trade conflict, despite the truce reached last year. This highlights ongoing concerns within the Donald Trump administration over Beijing's implementation of the agreement.China's commitment to maintain supplies of critical materials, including rare-earth magnets, formed a central element of the October agreement under which Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to pause the trade war. China exports fewer magnets to USRare-earth magnets are vital inputs for a wide range of industries, including electric vehicles, factory automation and defence manufacturing, making uninterrupted supplies a priority for American industry.According to customs data quoted in a Bloomberg report, shipments of these key industrial components to the US during the first six months of the year were roughly 20% lower than the average recorded between 2022 and 2024, prior to China's decision to tighten supplies in…
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