Overview

• Speaking at the White House, President Donald Trump said China must keep magnets flowing to the U.S. or face a 200% tariff.
• Trump claimed the U.S. had withheld Boeing parts, grounding about 200 Chinese jets, and said he later sent the parts so the planes could fly.
• Government data show Chinese rare‑earth magnet shipments to the U.S. rebounded sharply, jumping about 660% in June and rising further in July.
• China controls nearly 90% of global rare‑earth magnet production and much of the refining, a dependency that affects autos, electronics, defense and renewable energy.
• Some analysts cast the tariff threat as rhetorical, noting licensing and trade flows under a temporary U.S.–China truce that eased export curbs and lowered certain tariffs through November.