Renewed trade tensions between the US and China over rare earth materials

With the latest Chinese controls surrounding rare earth exports, US president Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese goods starting November 2025 – which Beijing has slammed as a ‘double standard’. But the reignited trade tensions go beyond rare earth materials. On the maritime front, the two nations have begun charging additional port fees on shipping vessels carrying cargo between them, a move that could disrupt global freight flows.