US Makes Export Controls Negotiable as Part of China Trade Talks

Trade talks between the US and China this week cemented a seismic change in Washington’s approach to the countries’ economic relationship: US export curbs, meant to keep sensitive technologies out of Beijing’s hands, are now explicitly up for negotiation.

At the heart of the policy shift is China’s stranglehold over rare earths and its decision to restrict supply to American manufacturers reliant on the key inputs.

That dependency set off a scramble in Washington to try to gain leverage over the world’s second-largest economy — and ultimately led the US to link export controls and trade talks, a longstanding ask ...