Mon Oct 13 05:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten version in the style of a news article:

**Summary:**

China is tightening export controls on rare earth elements, requiring permits for 12 elements and related production technologies. This is seen as retaliation for US tariffs imposed in April. President Trump has threatened financial retaliation and hinted at canceling a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Rare earth elements are crucial for many modern technologies, including military applications. China dominates both rare earth mining and processing, giving it significant leverage. The US is heavily reliant on China for rare earth imports and processing. Experts believe China is using rare earths as a strategic weapon in the trade war. This move is likely to escalate trade tensions between the two countries.

**News Article:**

**China Tightens Rare Earth Exports, Escalating Trade War with US**

**BEIJING** – China announced on Monday new export controls on rare earth elements, a move widely seen as a direct response to US tariffs and likely to further inflame tensions in the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

The new regulations, effective immediately, require permits for the export of 12 rare earth elements and related technologies. Rare earths are a group of 17 metallic elements vital to a wide range of modern technologies, including smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced military equipment.

The timing of the announcement, just weeks before a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Korea, suggests a deliberate escalation of the trade conflict.

President Trump responded swiftly, threatening retaliatory financial measures and raising the possibility of canceling the meeting with Xi. He accused Beijing of “weaponizing” rare earths and violating previous trade truce agreements.

China dominates the global rare earth market, accounting for an estimated 61% of global mining output and controlling 92% of processing capacity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The US, with only one active rare earth mine in California, is heavily reliant on China for both raw materials and processing, importing 70% of its rare earth needs from China between 2020 and 2023, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

“China has demonstrated they are willing to weaponize this dependence,” said Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Strategic Minerals Security Program at CSIS.

Analysts believe Beijing has been strategically positioning itself for decades, viewing rare earths as a crucial bargaining chip in the trade war. The new export controls signal a significant hardening of China’s stance and raise concerns about potential disruptions to global supply chains.

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