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China has halted the export of certain rare earth minerals and magnets essential for the global auto, semiconductor, and aerospace industries as a response to President Trump’s sharp increase in tariffs. Exports of these metals and special magnets can now only be shipped from China with special export licenses, but Beijing has barely established a system to issue these licenses. This move has raised concerns among industry executives about potential shortages of minerals and products outside of the country.
The ongoing trade conflict has caused uncertainty for many global businesses and there is no end in sight. The U.S. administration had been waiting for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to contact Trump, but Beijing has been cautious about putting him in an unpredictable situation with the U.S. president.
Xi’s Charm Tour: On the same day, Xi arrives in Vietnam for a week-long tour that will also include stops in Malaysia and Cambodia. He is expected to oversee the signing of around 40 agreements, including deals that could advance Vietnam’s plans to accept Chinese loans for an $8.3 billion railway connecting northern Vietnam with China.
Outside of the trade war, the situation remains tense on the global stage with a Russian attack killing at least 34 in Ukraine. Two Russian ballistic missiles struck the city center of Sumy, Ukraine, where people had gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday. The attack is considered the deadliest against civilians this year.
In other news, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. resumed talks on a deal that could give Saudi Arabia access to U.S. nuclear technology and potentially allow them to enrich uranium.
And finally, as climate change melts ice in the Arctic, the region is becoming more accessible and contested, prompting the major militaries of the U.S., Russia, China, and Europe to train for a winter war.
Other recent events include the death of Irmgard Furchner, who was convicted as an accessory to more than 10,000 murders during her time as a teenage secretary at a Nazi concentration camp, and the passing of Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa.
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/briefing/china-us-tariff-ukraine-russia-saudi-arabia-trump.html
