Trump stomps feet, pulls out 't-word' again over China rare earths ban
(2025/08/27)
- Reference: 1756250783
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/08/26/trump_china_rare_earths/
- Source link:
world war fee The Chinese lockdown on rare-earth minerals has drawn the ire of President Trump, who is threatening crushing tariffs if the Middle Kingdom doesn't cough up more rare earths.
"They have to give us magnets," Trump told reporters on Monday. "If they don't give us magnets, and then we have to charge them 200% tariff or something, you know, but we're not gonna have a problem.
[1]Youtube Video
[2]
"We have tremendous power over them, and they have some power over us. With magnets, we're going to have a lot of magnets in a pretty short period of time. But with that being said, I think we have a great relationship."
[3]
[4]
In April, peeved by US tariffs, China [5]banned the export of samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium, which might sound like a [6]Tom Lehrer song but is less funny. These are key components in the ability to manufacture processors, medical equipment, military kit, smartphone hardware, and vehicle engines – and China owns at least two-thirds of the mineral market.
It also [7]banned the export of rare-earth mineral processing hardware, which given its expertise in the area dealt a big blow to competitors. And at least one arm of the US government is paying attention - the Pentagon recently became the [8]majority shareholder in America's only rare earth mine
[9]China bans export of rare earth processing kit
[10]US and EU looking to create 'critical minerals club' to ensure their own supplies
[11]Pentagon needs China's rare earths, Beijing just put them behind a permit wall. Oops
[12]Pentagon snaps up ownership stake in America's only rare earths mine
The problem is that rare-earth mines are just that - rare. While the minerals they contain are refinable in small doses, there are very few areas of the planet that contain them in economically viable locations. China owns most of these, and getting new manufacturing facilities online takes years.
Over the last few years, the US and EU have been [13]cooperating on such matters, but it takes time to build up production capacity, and in the meantime, supplies are running out.
[14]
Canada, Australia, and Malaysia are all exploring rare-earth mineral mining, as is Trump takeover target Greenland. But China has played the long game on this and for years advanced electronics manufacturers will be under its thumb, for the moment.
"China is looking for negotiating power in real-time," said Dr Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in an interview. "The US will be reliant on China for some time - but the dependency will continue to decline. In a decade, we shouldn't need China for rare earths and permanent magnets."
In the meantime, however, we're in for a rough ride. Baskaran pointed out that Ford and Suzuki have already had to pause production of cars due to rare-earth shortages, and we're only months into the ban.
[15]
"Nearly every sector of the economy is vulnerable to rare earth shortages, given their role in such a broad range of manufactured goods," she warned.
"But the industries that rely on them most heavily will feel the impact first and most acutely. For example, when China imposed export restrictions, it took less than eight weeks before Ford and Suzuki were forced to pause automobile production."
Trump ended his comments by noting he is planning a trip to China to discuss the situation with its government "probably during this year or shortly thereafter." We'll see what deals there are to be made. ®
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[1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fxe5cdkYEWA
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aK6C1TSDfC_4SyVw9YRGGAAAAEU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/04/china_hits_back_at_trump/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/tom_lehrer_dead_at_97/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/china_tech_export_bans/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/pentagon_ownership_us_rare_earth_mine/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/china_tech_export_bans/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/us_and_eu_critical_minerals/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/15/china_rare_earth_elements_restrictions/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/pentagon_ownership_us_rare_earth_mine/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/us_and_eu_critical_minerals/
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[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"They have to give us magnets," Trump told reporters on Monday. "If they don't give us magnets, and then we have to charge them 200% tariff or something, you know, but we're not gonna have a problem.
[1]Youtube Video
[2]
"We have tremendous power over them, and they have some power over us. With magnets, we're going to have a lot of magnets in a pretty short period of time. But with that being said, I think we have a great relationship."
[3]
[4]
In April, peeved by US tariffs, China [5]banned the export of samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium, which might sound like a [6]Tom Lehrer song but is less funny. These are key components in the ability to manufacture processors, medical equipment, military kit, smartphone hardware, and vehicle engines – and China owns at least two-thirds of the mineral market.
It also [7]banned the export of rare-earth mineral processing hardware, which given its expertise in the area dealt a big blow to competitors. And at least one arm of the US government is paying attention - the Pentagon recently became the [8]majority shareholder in America's only rare earth mine
[9]China bans export of rare earth processing kit
[10]US and EU looking to create 'critical minerals club' to ensure their own supplies
[11]Pentagon needs China's rare earths, Beijing just put them behind a permit wall. Oops
[12]Pentagon snaps up ownership stake in America's only rare earths mine
The problem is that rare-earth mines are just that - rare. While the minerals they contain are refinable in small doses, there are very few areas of the planet that contain them in economically viable locations. China owns most of these, and getting new manufacturing facilities online takes years.
Over the last few years, the US and EU have been [13]cooperating on such matters, but it takes time to build up production capacity, and in the meantime, supplies are running out.
[14]
Canada, Australia, and Malaysia are all exploring rare-earth mineral mining, as is Trump takeover target Greenland. But China has played the long game on this and for years advanced electronics manufacturers will be under its thumb, for the moment.
"China is looking for negotiating power in real-time," said Dr Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in an interview. "The US will be reliant on China for some time - but the dependency will continue to decline. In a decade, we shouldn't need China for rare earths and permanent magnets."
In the meantime, however, we're in for a rough ride. Baskaran pointed out that Ford and Suzuki have already had to pause production of cars due to rare-earth shortages, and we're only months into the ban.
[15]
"Nearly every sector of the economy is vulnerable to rare earth shortages, given their role in such a broad range of manufactured goods," she warned.
"But the industries that rely on them most heavily will feel the impact first and most acutely. For example, when China imposed export restrictions, it took less than eight weeks before Ford and Suzuki were forced to pause automobile production."
Trump ended his comments by noting he is planning a trip to China to discuss the situation with its government "probably during this year or shortly thereafter." We'll see what deals there are to be made. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fxe5cdkYEWA
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aK6C1TSDfC_4SyVw9YRGGAAAAEU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/04/china_hits_back_at_trump/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/tom_lehrer_dead_at_97/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/china_tech_export_bans/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/pentagon_ownership_us_rare_earth_mine/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/22/china_tech_export_bans/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/us_and_eu_critical_minerals/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/15/china_rare_earth_elements_restrictions/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/11/pentagon_ownership_us_rare_earth_mine/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/us_and_eu_critical_minerals/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aK6C1TSDfC_4SyVw9YRGGAAAAEU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aK6C1TSDfC_4SyVw9YRGGAAAAEU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: We have tremendous power over them, and they have some power over us
VoiceOfTruth
>> Might want to swap the words "we" and "they".
Agreed. It's just another sign of the neurosis of so-called American exceptionalism. China doesn't need the USA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w7kFNBJU94
Re: We have tremendous power over them, and they have some power over us
Yet Another Anonymous coward
Couldn't the Chinese leader just take a 15% cut of rare-Earth exports ?
Trump is a ranting lunatic
VoiceOfTruth
Be proud, MAGA wingnuts. This is your voice on the world stage.
>> It also banned the export of rare-earth mineral processing hardware, which given its expertise in the area dealt a big blow to competitors.
What goes around comes around. A deal with Trump is not worth the paper it is written on. Ask Canada.
I cannot decide who I want to win this tussle ...
alain williams
Trump or Xi Jinping -- both are pretty noxious.
Re: I cannot decide who I want to win this tussle ...
Ropewash
Mad Max : Beyond Thunderdome springs directly to mind.
Re: I cannot decide who I want to win this tussle ...
Anonymous Coward
China isn't planning on invading us
At some point
retiredFool
China will just start becoming a consuming nation and buy their own stuff. Instead of buying treasuries, they could buy the stuff they make instead. Really I think they should just rip the bandaid off and start now. With trump's penchant to lower rates by firing the sane Fed members, he will get his way. Seriously, like the magat congress will stop him. So he is going to destroy the dollar as the reserve currency, have Turkish style inflation of 80%, so why would China want more treasuries? Its not even toilet paper anymore, they're digital.
sanmigueelbeer
we have to charge them 200% tariff or something
Start by charging 200% tariffs on the magnets.
Oh, wait ...
Yet Another Anonymous coward
But if China is paying the tariffs, why not make them 200,000,000,000% ?
“I think we have a great relationship."
Winkypop
Absolutely bat shit insane.
China is free to play this imbecile all day long.
We have tremendous power over them, and they have some power over us
Might want to swap the words "we" and "they".
Unless he is referring to US power over the Chinese factories that manufacture cheap tat on demand*, like tacky red hats with embroidered slogans: as major customers, they could stop buying and drive those factories out of business.
* or decent stuff, if you ask them, and pay them, to.