After the U.S. and China pause tariffs, rare mineral exports are now in the spotlight for future trade deals

Crane loading a container of rare earth minerals at a Chinese port (Credit: STR/AFP via Getty Images)

• The U.S. wants to maintain access to China’s rare earth minerals. While China sees its dominance of the market as a way to apply major pressure on the U.S. as the two negotiate a broader trade deal. 

The U.S. and China reached a détente on what had been an escalating trade war. On Sunday, at the end of this weekend’s trade summit in Geneva, both sides agreed to pause the tariffs they had placed on one another.