Markets cheered in early May when the US and China agreed in Geneva to lower tariffs and other barriers. But after a few weeks, the shine started to come off that deal, with China accusing the US of violating it with new restrictions and the US saying China failed to honor promises on rare earths.

On April 4, China added seven of the 17 rare earths metals - such as samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium-related items - to a list of export controls two days after President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs took U.S. trade barriers to their highest in a century.

BEIJING] Global manufacturers have raised the alarm on China’s decision to curb exports of rare earths alloys, mixtures and magnets. Read more at The Business Times.