On April 4th, responding to Donald Trump’s tariffs, China restricted sales to America of seven rare earths. The move forces producers to apply for export licences. It is not an outright ban, but it could turn into one.

As the U.S.–China trade war ramps up, rare earths are among the most important pieces of leverage that China controls. There are many reasons why China would not want to shut off U.S. access to rare earths completely,

China has expanded its use of critical minerals as a trade weapon with curbs on exports of rare earths, threatening to shake-up the global supply of key materials used widely in high-tech manufacturing from electric vehicles to weaponry.