Overview
- President Donald Trump announced the agreement after speaking with Xi Jinping, and Beijing confirmed a one‑year suspension of the October 9 expansion.
- EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the postponement should apply erga omnes, and the European Commission opened talks with a Chinese delegation in Brussels.
- The shelved measures would have required export permits for technologies and machinery used to mine and process rare earths.
- German industry groups welcomed short‑term relief but warned that uncertainty over the exact scope and supply‑chain impacts remains.
- China retains leverage through its dominance of processing know‑how, while USGS estimates large global reserves, and experts say building alternative capacity will take years.