The Consequences of China’s New Rare Earths Export Restrictions

President Trump’s latest tariff plan is under fire from a conservative think tank, which says the math behind it is both flawed and misleading.

• Donald Trump focused on separating himself from his party's extreme policies and addressing key voter concerns like the economy and abortion.

Cato Institute expert Robert A. Levy writes that U.S. SupremeCourt Chief Justice Roberts will be "concerned about political repercussions" if Trump is disqualified from running.

Levy also argues that liberal justices will likely lean toward allowing voting citizens to decide if Trump should be President.

• China's decision to ban the export of rare minerals affects U.S. national, economic, and rare earth security, given that rare earth elements are crucial in defense and technology sectors.
• The U.S. has and should expedite its efforts to address its vulnerability in this area through funding decisions to enhance domestic rare earth processing capabilities.

• The U.S. must keep leading the world in promoting global human rights, despite its flawed human rights record and internal struggles.
• Progress on freedom in the world requires U.S. leadership, otherwise Russia, China, and other autocratic states will continue democratic backsliding around the world.

The U.S.-China relationship currently faces significant rivalry that impacts collaboration, yet history shows that even rivals can work together on shared challenges. Understanding and advancing methods for cooperation among nonstate actors will be critical for addressing major global issues, per commentary from Center for Strategic and International Studies.