China tightens export controls on rare-earth metals: Why this matters | Business and Economy News

China tightened export controls for critical rare-earth metals on Thursday.

The new restrictions were announced by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and come ahead of an expected meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and United States President Donald Trump’s later this month.

The world’s two largest economies have been locked in trade negotiations aimed at calming tensions, after they raised tit-for-tat tariffs against each other earlier this year, before then agreeing to pull back…