EXPLAINER
Why China’s rare earth exports are a key issue in trade tensions with US
Beijing has a virtual monopoly on supply of the critical minerals used to make everything from cars to wind turbines.
![A man checks his mobile phone as he rides an electric bicycle past barriers, signaling the road reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, in Paris on February 9, 2025 [Xavier Galiana/AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AFP__20250209__36XG3UV__v2__HighRes__TopshotFranceLifestyleTransport-1749233966.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![US President Donald Trump meets British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S [File:Brian Snyder/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-02-27T181923Z_1346426044_RC253DABIX6C_RTRMADP_3_USA-BRITAIN-1740694563.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Advertisement
Content Feed
The increased price tag is a result of US President Donald Trump’s imposed tariffs on auto imports.
Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen join GM and Volvo, who suspended guidance earlier this week.
Trump said he restored free speech, dubbed surveys as ‘fake’ and claimed fuel prices were down.
Trump’s reciprocal tariffs range from 10 percent to more than 50 percent on the US’s trading partners.
But Congress can still step in to save them, and the US economy.
Trump’s 25 percent tariff could ‘level the playing field’ for Chinese brands insulated from the US market, analyst say.
![An employee works on a new energy vehicle production line at a BYD factory in Jiangsu province, China, on August 26, 2024 [China Daily via Reurers]](/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2024-08-27T054219Z_1229666941_RC2DN9AX2CG8_RTRMADP_3_CHINA-ECONOMY-1743490610.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats are forcing companies in Mexico to rethink their business plans.
Trump claimed auto plant growth, but evidence shows reallocations at existing facilities rather than new constructions.
Tariffs on imported cars and auto parts will sharply increase prices, hitting demand and jobs, experts say.
Ageing design, rising competition and controversy around Elon Musk seen driving reversal of Tesla sales.
