Beijing hits back accusing Washington of “double standards”
In a statement, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said the Oct. 9 measures were intended to “strengthen export control systems and safeguard world peace and regional stability” amid growing global uncertainty.
The restrictions now cover rare earth materials, technologies, and related intellectual property, just weeks before a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“These controls do not constitute export bans. Applications that meet requirements will be approved,” the ministry said, adding that China had “fully assessed the potential impact on global supply chains” and expected it to be “very limited.”
Under the new rules, any product containing more than 0.1% of China-sourced rare earths, or manufactured using its extraction and refining technologies, will require an export license. Applications for items that could serve military or terrorist purposes will be rejected.
The U.S. responded swiftly. On Oct. 10, President Trump announced 100% tariffs on all Chinese imports, effective Nov. 1, along with export controls on “any and all critical software.”
Beijing hit back, accusing Washington of “double standards.”
“For a long time, the U.S. has abused export controls under the guise of national security,” the ministry said, noting that the U.S. list of restricted items exceeds 3,000, compared to fewer than 1,000 on China’s list.
China, which supplies about 70% of the world’s rare earths, has often leveraged its dominance in the sector as a strategic bargaining chip in trade disputes.
