China may consider a ban on supplying rare earth metals to the US as the trade war escalates. According to two editorials from Globaltimes, China's monopolistic control of the world's supply of the minerals could prove vital, given their importance to current technology and the US's military industry. The editorial in Global Times said that if Washington imposed sanctions against China, it would be "playing with fire.
China may consider a ban on supplying rare earth metals to the US as the trade war escalates. According to two editorials from Globaltimes, China's monopolistic control of the world's supply of the minerals could prove vital, given their importance to current technology and the US's military industry. A long-term prohibition against trading rare earth metals to the US could force President Donald Trump to concede to demands, but it could also backfire by giving China a poor reputation globally as a trading partner for critical minerals, paving the way for alternative sources to be developed.