President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an $8.5 billion rare earths deal, creating a pipeline for the critical resources as a potential counterpoint to China’s new export restrictions.

Beijing said it will require Chinese government approval for any exports of magnets that contain even trace amounts of rare earth materials that originated from China, or that were produced with Chinese technology. The U.S. Trade Representative said this gives China broad power over the global economy by controlling the tech supply chain, making Australia’s mining economy a key alternative for critical minerals sought by the U.S.

Meanwhile, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds Americans growing increasingly concerned about their abil

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