China has agreed to lift additional export restrictions on rare earth metals and terminate investigations targeting US semiconductor supply chain companies, the White House announced on Saturday.
The move is part of a new US-China trade agreement reached earlier this week between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, marking a major step toward de-escalating trade tensions between the two economic superpowers.
Under the deal, China will issue general export licenses for critical materials — rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite — effectively reversing controls imposed in April 2025 and October 2022. Beijing will also pause stricter export rules announced in October 2025 for one year.
In exchange, the United States will extend tariff relief, pausing certain reciprocal tariffs and shelving plans for a 100% duty on Chinese imports that was slated to begin in November. The Section 301 tariff exclusions, set to expire on November 29, 2025, have also been extended until November 10, 2026.
The Trump-Xi summit, their first face-to-face meeting in Trump’s second term, temporarily stabilizes bilateral ties after years of escalating trade battles that disrupted global markets.
As part of the agreement:
- The US will halve fentanyl-related tariffs from 20% to 10%.
- China will resume purchases of US soybeans and agricultural products, buying 12 million metric tons this season and at least 25 million tons annually for the next three years.
- Beijing will permit Nexperia BV’s Chinese plants to resume chip shipments, easing pressure on global auto manufacturing.
President Trump indicated that the remaining fentanyl-related tariffs could be removed entirely if China continues to curb the export of the synthetic drug and its precursor chemicals.
While the accord eases short-term tensions, experts view it as a one-year truce rather than a lasting solution, as core issues — including Taiwan, tech policy, and geopolitical disputes — remain unresolved.
Trump also confirmed that the US has approved a plan for an American consortium to buy ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok operations in the US, pending Beijing’s approval. Additionally, China has agreed to purchase oil and gas from Alaska, signaling renewed cooperation on energy trade.
