The White House says China is rolling back restrictions on rare earth minerals

The White House released more details on Saturday about the trade agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting earlier this week.

Among other things, the White House said China would suspend restrictions on rare earth exports it announced in October, and would resume issuing “valid general licenses for exports of rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite for the benefit of end users in the United States and their suppliers around the world.”

The Trump administration says this will effectively reverse restrictions on rare earth metals imposed by China in April 2025 and October 2022.

China is the world’s largest producer of rare earth minerals, which are essential for the production of a variety of technological products. When the Chinese government announced its latest restrictions – which would have required foreign companies to apply for a license to export even a small amount of those minerals – the Trump administration responded by threatening to impose additional 100% tariffs.

The White House now says it is halting plans for those tariffs by 100% and halting other tariffs on Chinese goods for one year.