The United States and China have reached a mutual understanding aimed at resuming and expediting shipments of rare earth materials to the U.S., according to a senior White House official. The development comes as part of broader negotiations to de-escalate ongoing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
The announcement follows a round of discussions held in May in Geneva, where Chinese officials reportedly agreed to remove non-tariff restrictions imposed on American imports since April 2. However, the timeline and mechanisms for lifting these measures remain uncertain.
China had previously included rare earth elements—critical components in a wide range of advanced technologies such as electronics, defense systems, and renewable energy infrastructure—on its list of restricted exports in response to U.S. tariffs initiated under the Trump administration.
A White House official, speaking on Thursday, confirmed that both nations have now settled on a framework to carry out the commitments made during the Geneva talks. “This understanding concerns the practical steps for expediting rare earths shipments to the U.S. once again,” the official stated.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reinforced the significance of the breakthrough in comments to Bloomberg, saying, “They’re going to deliver rare earths to us,” and that once shipments resume, “we’ll take down our countermeasures.”
As of Thursday evening, China’s embassy in Washington had not issued a response to requests for comment on the agreement.
This latest development marks a cautious but notable step toward restoring stable trade ties, with rare earth supplies representing a critical strategic interest for the United States.