China has stopped exporting rare earths to everyone, not just the U.S., cutting off critical materials for tech, autos, aerospace, and defense

(Credit: Li Zhipeng—Xinhua/Getty Images)

• After President Donald Trump unveiled his so-called reciprocal tariffs on “Liberation Day,” China retaliated with its own duties and export controls on rare earth minerals, which are critical to the tech, auto, aerospace, and defense sectors. So far, those export controls have translated to a halt across the board, cutting off the U.S. and other countries, according to the New York Times.

China is exploiting a highly lopsided advantage it has in global trade as it hits back against President Donald Trump’s tariffs: rare earths.