Rare earths tensions rise as US and China trade barbs

BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese state media on Thursday issued a seven-point rebuttal to U.S. calls for Beijing to wind back its rare earth controls, as both sides struggle to move beyond a volley of barbs and accusations of blindsiding the other.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday called China’s new rare earth export restrictions “a global supply-chain power grab,” and suggested Beijing could stave off President Donald Trump’s threat to reimpose triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods by shelving the measures set to take effect on November 8.

Beijing maintains it not only notified Washington before announcing the new licensing regime, but that the controls are also consistent with measures long in place in other major economies.

The U.S. and China have been embroiled in a w