THE United States and China remain embroiled in high-stakes negotiations over rare earths and other critical minerals, with officials racing to finalise “general licences” for US-bound shipments before the end of the month.
The outcome could ease supply constraints that threaten global industries from automobiles to robotics.
At the same time, the Trump administration is weighing whether to permit the sale of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China, a move advisers warn could risk America’s technological edge. “That kind of decision sits right on the desk of Donald Trump,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg Television. “He will decide whether we go forward with that or not.”
Trump also confirmed ongoing talks with Beijing on increased purchases of American soybeans, another pillar of the bilateral trade agreement.
“They’re in the process of doing it,” he said. “We spoke to them today. They’re in the process. We’re doing not only a little bit, but they’ll be doing a lot of soybean purchase.” - November 25, 2025
