Overview

• President Trump said he is considering suspending imports of cooking oil and other products from China in response to China’s halt of U.S. soybean purchases.
• USTR representative Glia said the decision to impose a 100% additional tariff will depend on China’s response and criticized Beijing’s tightened rare‑earth export controls.
• Working‑level officials from both countries met in Washington on Oct. 13 to discuss rare‑earth issues, signaling active but tense engagement.
• Trump has set Nov. 1 as the date to activate the across‑the‑board tariff unless China changes course, elevating near‑term economic pressure.
• Reports indicate China effectively stopped buying U.S. soybeans since May; soybeans are expected to be a principal topic at a late‑October Trump–Xi summit.