US gets rare earth reprieve from China

China has agreed to delay the introduction of its latest round of rare earth export controls as part of a deal agreed between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, but earlier restrictions on the critical minerals that have upended global trade remain.

- 

Rare earths, 17 elements which play tiny but vital roles in cars, planes and weapons, have emerged from obscurity to become China's most potent source of negotiating leverage thanks to export restrictions introduced this year which allow Beijing to cut off foreign customers dependent on