US Seeks India and Allies’ Support Against China’s Rare Earth Export Curbs: Treasury Secretary

Washington, Oct 14 :
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that Washington expects strong backing from its allies and partners — including India — in its efforts to counter China’s new export restrictions on rare earth elements.

In an interview with Fox News, Bessent described the situation as “China versus the world”, expressing confidence that US allies will unite behind Washington’s response.

“We’ve already been in touch with our allies. We’ll be meeting with them this week, and I expect substantial global support from Europe, India, and democracies across Asia. This is a global issue, and our partners understand that,” he stated.

Bessent made it clear that the US would not tolerate China’s export curbs or monitoring measures, stressing that “everything is on the table” in terms of possible retaliation.

“Earlier this year, we implemented 12 countermeasures targeting China’s access to critical natural resources used in plastics and jet engine parts. It significantly affected their civilian fleet. We have several strong counter-options we can deploy,” he added.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday warned of potential 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting November 1, along with new export controls on critical software. He also hinted at cancelling a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accusing Beijing of “hostile trade behaviour” following China’s tightened rare earth export controls.

However, Trump later appeared to soften his stance, saying there was “no need to worry about China”, suggesting that Xi “just had a bad moment.”

Last week, Beijing expanded its export control regime on rare earth elements and imposed a new fee on US vessels — a move seen as retaliation for Washington’s tightened export regulations.

Bessent confirmed that the Trump–Xi meeting would still take place in South Korea, noting ongoing communication between both sides.

“The tariffs won’t take effect until November 1, and President Trump will still meet Party Chair Xi in Korea. There’s been significant communication over the weekend,” he said.

Trade talks between the two nations have been ongoing since April, with the current temporary truce set to expire on November 10.