US President Donald Trump has put allies and trade partners on notice, invoking national security powers to ease China’s chokehold on critical minerals, warning global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade barriers, including tariffs.
In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, the “America first” president declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat.
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What are rare earths, and why is China’s dominance facing global pushback
What are rare earths, and why is China’s dominance facing global pushback
Negotiators have exactly 180 days, until July 13, 2026, to secure binding or enforceable agreements.
While the proclamation does not explicitly require countries to prove their minerals are mined and processed outside adversarial nations to avoid tariffs, it emphasises commitments that diversify supply chains away from dominant and potentially coercive sources.
Measures include boosting allied processing capacity, securing offtake agreements for US access, investing in non-Chinese facilities and using trade-stabilising tools such as price floors to counter price swings and volatility.
If no deal is reached within the deadline, the president is authorised to bypass further review and impose “remedial” measures, including high tariffs, quotas or mandatory “minimum import prices”.
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