Image Credit: AFP Contributor / Contributor / Getty Images 
President Trump has vowed to impose an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports, as well as export controls on critical software, in response to China’s announcement of strict new controls on rare-earth minerals.
The President made the announcement on Truth Social. He said it was “impossible to believe” that China had taken such an “extraordinarily aggressive position,” and that his counter-measures would be introduced on 1 November.
“It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1st, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations.
“Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the U.S.A., and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1st, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.”
At present, average US tariffs on Chinese goods are 57.6%.
Trump’s announcement came a day after Beijing announced new restrictions on rare-earth minerals, lithium batteries and other related technologies.
As Breitbart reports, “The rules, which would reportedly take effect in early November, require foreign entities to obtain licenses to export products containing Chinese rare earths comprising as little as 0.1 percent of a product’s value or items manufactured with Chinese rare earth processing technology.”
China has a near-monopoly on rare-earth minerals, which are critical for the manufacture of semiconductors, electric vehicles, military equipment and other vital technology.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Beijing decided to implement the new restrictions as a means of gaining leverage over the US in advance of the upcoming APEC meeting, which may now be cancelled, and because Chinese officials view US responses to Chinese trade measures as “feeble.”
An analyst who spoke to the Journal described the new restrictions as “an economic equivalent of nuclear war—an intent to destroy the American AI industry.”
v
