Fall in China's exports of rare earth magnets stokes supply chain fears

By Joe Cash BEIJING (Reuters) -China's exports of rare earth magnets fell in September, reigniting fears that the world's top supplier could wield its dominance over a component key for U.S. defence firms and makers of items from cars to smartphones as leverage in trade talks. In April and May, Beijing squeezed global automakers with export curbs on a range of rare earths items and related magnets, while negotiators faced off over triple-digit U.S. tariffs on goods from the world's second-largest economy. Four months on, after Washington and Beijing unexpectedly reprised threats of fresh tariffs and rare earth export curbs, worry is growing that China could return to the same playbook. That would mean it reneges on a June deal with the United States to ease the flow of critical minerals. C