Businesses across the global semiconductor supply chain are bracing themselves for disruptions from an escalating trade war, after China imposed curbs on rare-earth mineral exports and the US responded with additional tariffs and restrictions on software sales to the Asian nation.

China’s restrictions, the most targeted move yet to limit supplies of rare-earth materials, represent the first major attempt by Beijing to exercise long-arm jurisdiction over foreign companies to target the semiconductor industry, threatening to stall the chips powering the AI boom. They prompted US President Donald Trump to announce on Friday that he would impose an additional 100% tariff on China and export controls on “any and all critical software.”

The rare-earth curbs may lead to weekslong delays in sh

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