Beijing’s Critical Minerals Ban Signals Rising US–China Trade Tensions

U.S. leaders have considered China’s dominance in critical mineral production as a national security risk and have been working to find alternative sources.

A loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals to be loaded at a port in Lianyungang, in China's Jiangsu Province, on Sept. 5, 2010. STR/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

Businesses worldwide are already bracing for increased U.S.–China trade tensions expected under the incoming Trump administration, but with weeks remaining before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, China has made an unprecedented move.