President Donald Trump responded on Friday to China's plans to limit exports of certain rare earth minerals with two lengthy social media posts accusing Xi Jinping's government of "lying in wait" throughout trade talks this year and promised reprisals.
Citing what he described as China’s “hostile” actions, Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on all Chinese imports, “over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying.” He also said the U.S. would introduce export controls on critical software, effective the same date or earlier “depending on any further actions or changes taken by China.”
China's Ministry of Commerce unveiled new export controls Thursday covering five rare earth elements — holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, and ytterbium — which are scheduled to take effect on Nov. 8. The measures also extend to dozens of refining technologies and mining equipment, and create a new licensing regime that requires firms producing rare earth magnets or chips with even trace amounts of Chinese-sourced materials to seek approval.
Other world leaders were also surprised and incensed by "this great Trade hostility," according to Trump, who said his administration was weighing various policy responses.
"One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America," the president wrote. "There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration."
By Friday afternoon, the president had built up enough rage to articulate the policy response: more tariffs and export controls. No details were released beyond the posts.
Trump has not reached out to Xi regarding the surprise announcement because, he wrote, he had "no reason to do so." He applied the same phrase regarding the pair's next scheduled meeting, on the sidelines of APEC in South Korea, which will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.
The posts mark an about-face from Trump, who as recently as Sept. 19 celebrated a "very productive call," wherein he and Xi planned the upcoming meeting and state visits to their respective countries in 2026. Tensions between Washington and Beijing abated after the pair announced a preliminary trade deal in June, with the Trump administration repeatedly delaying its triple-digit tariffs on Chinese products as talks continued.
Despite his evident disgust and reluctance to continue negotiations in light of China's new export controls, Trump went on to say his administration's response would hinge on China's explanation for the move.
"Dependent on what China says about the hostile 'order' that they have just put out, I will be forced, as President of the United States of America, to financially counter their move," he wrote.
The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the post.
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