Following their high-profile meeting on Thursday in South Korea, President Donald Trump said he had secured assurances from Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that China would maintain its flow of rare earth exports to the United States for at least one year.

The announcement came after weeks of escalating trade tensions and new export restrictions from Beijing, marking what could be a temporary reprieve in the ongoing trade war.

Why It Matters

Rare earth elements—a group of 17 metals essential to modern technology—are critical for both civilian and military applications. They are used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, radar systems, precision-guided missiles and semiconductors.

China maintains a dominant position in this sector, controlling about 60 percent of global mining and

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