China Controls Rare Earth Minerals The World Buys, Can Trump's New Deals Change That? | Decode | 4K

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, America and Australia led rare earth production. But as environmental costs rose, mining shifted to where it was cheapest — China. Beijing offered subsidies, low labour costs, and loose regulation. By the mid-2000s, it controlled over 90% of global supply. Fast forward to 2025 - When US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, Chinese state media hinted at retaliation: “Don’t forget who controls the rare earths.” China slapped rare earth export controls on all foreign firms, including American ones like Nvidia and Apple. Soon after, Xi Jinping visited a rare earth facility — a not-so-subtle reminder that China could choke America’s tech and defence industries overnight. That forced Trump to the negotiating table with Xi Jinping. In his recent tour of Asia, Trump is also busy stitching up rare earth agreements with a number of Asian countries. In this trip, Trump has signed rare earth agreements with Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and also Japan. Trump realizes that China has a stranglehold on rare earths and has been easily weaponizing it to counter his tariffs. n18oc_world n18oc_crux

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