(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning of strong retaliation against China following Beijing’s announcement of new export controls on rare earth elements and other critical materials. Trump accused China of “becoming very hostile” by restricting shipments of strategic minerals with military applications.

On Thursday, China unveiled limits on exports of key minerals, justifying the move as necessary to safeguard national security and fulfill international commitments, including non-proliferation treaties.

Responding on Truth Social Friday, Trump declared, “One of the policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of tariffs,” while indicating that additional actions are “under serious consideration.”

Trump also threatened to cancel a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea, scheduled for two weeks from now.

Labeling China’s restrictions as “unprecedented and hostile,” Trump claimed Beijing had sent detailed letters to global partners outlining the rare earth elements it intends to withhold. He cautioned that the measures risk “clog[ging] the Markets, and mak[ing] life difficult for virtually every Country in the World,” adding that multiple world leaders have contacted Washington to voice their outrage.

Highlighting the surprising timing, Trump said, “Our relationship with China over the past six months has been a very good one, thereby making this move on Trade an even more surprising one.”

This escalation follows a recent trade truce between the US and China agreed in August, where tariffs were significantly rolled back. The 90-day pause reduced US tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, and Chinese tariffs on American products from 125% to 10%. That tariff ceasefire is set to expire in November.

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