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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on CNN or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: China has issued a stern warning to the United States, pledging retaliatory countermeasures if President Donald Trump proceeds with his threat to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports
• The warning follows Beijing’s recent imposition of broad export restrictions on rare earth minerals, intensifying trade tensions and threatening to derail fragile negotiations ahead of a planned Trump–Xi summit in South Korea
🔭 The context: The renewed trade standoff echoes earlier U.S.–China tariff battles, with recent U.S. actions including expanded export controls on Chinese firms and special port fees for Chinese vessels
• Beijing’s rare earth curbs — affecting critical minerals used in electronics and defense — mirror U.S. semiconductor export restrictions, signalling a strategic shift in China’s retaliatory posture
• Trade talks in Madrid last month had shown signs of progress before being overtaken by escalating measures
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Rare earth minerals are vital to clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics
• Disruptions in their trade could jeopardise global supply chains critical to the green transition and defense sectors alike
• The geopolitical weaponisation of critical resources risks setting a precedent of economic coercion, undermining efforts to build secure and diversified supply chains for the energy transition
⏭️ What's next: The upcoming Trump–Xi meeting remains uncertain, with the U.S. demanding a rollback of rare earth restrictions and China urging reversal of unilateral tariffs
• If no diplomatic breakthrough occurs, a renewed tariff war could commence within weeks, destabilising markets and potentially prompting global retaliatory trade measures
• Watch for additional corporate and investor responses as Beijing prepares formal countermeasures and Washington weighs further restrictions
💬 One quote: “Our position on a tariff war remains consistent – we do not want one, but we are not afraid of one.” – China Ministry of Commerce spokesperson
📈 One stat: The U.S. export control list now includes over 3,000 items, more than three times China’s list of just 900+
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