President Trump’s Trade Legacy: Confronting China’s Unfair Practices and Safeguarding America’s Critical Minerals Future

For decades, America’s economic relationship with China was marked by imbalance, exploitation, and complacency. Beijing’s systematic use of unfair trade practices — from intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers to state subsidies and currency manipulation — hollowed out American manufacturing and left key industries vulnerable.

President Donald J. Trump broke that cycle.

From the outset of his administration, President Trump made it clear that America would no longer tolerate one-sided trade relationships. His bold approach to restructuring outdated deals and confronting China’s economic abuses was not just about fairness — it was about restoring U.S. strength, security, and sovereignty in an increasingly complex global economy.

A defining moment in this strategy was his willingness to tackle one of the most deeply entrenched — and dangerous — asymmetries: China’s near-monopoly over rare earth elements.

These 17 critical minerals are the backbone of modern industry. They power everything from military drones and advanced fighter jets to smartphones, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, solar panels, and materials for affordable housing. China, recognizing the strategic importance of its dominance, has long treated rare earths as a potent economic weapon — and during the height of President Trump’s trade negotiations, Beijing did not hesitate to wield it.

In response to the Trump administration’s tariffs designed to counter China’s unfair trade practices, Beijing imposed sweeping restrictions on the export of rare earths to the United States. Senior officials across the National Security Council, Commerce Department, Energy Department, and the Office of the Trade Representative managed the potential fallout. As Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes, a former Energy Department official, noted, these materials represented an Achilles’ heel for the United States: single points of failure in entire industrial supply chains.

But while some critics framed this as a crisis, President Trump’s administration viewed it as a wake-up call — one that demanded urgent, structural solutions rather than short-term compromises. To his credit, long before the trade war escalated, President Trump had already signed executive orders prioritizing the diversification of America’s critical mineral supply chains. Now, faced with direct Chinese pressure, his team doubled down on finding ways to reduce our dependency.

Under Trump’s leadership, the administration explored and advanced strategies to expedite domestic rare earth production, secured trade agreements with trusted allies, and invested in technologies for reprocessing and recycling critical materials. These weren’t easy fixes — experts acknowledged it could take a decade or more to establish fully independent supply chains — but Trump’s vision was clear: America should never again be at the mercy of an adversary for resources vital to our economy and national defense.

This effort underscored what set President Trump apart from his predecessors. While other administrations acknowledged the risk, few took concrete steps to confront it head-on. Trump’s trade war with China exposed painful vulnerabilities but also catalyzed long-overdue action to fortify America’s industrial base.

China had weaponized rare earths as far back as 2010, when it banned exports to Japan during a territorial dispute. By the time of Trump’s presidency, Beijing had already started restricting supplies to the U.S. in response to high-tech export controls. Yet it wasn’t until President Trump’s administration that America meaningfully confronted the strategic risks and moved to build resilient alternatives.

Today, President Trump’s legacy on trade — and particularly on rare earth security — stands as a testament to the power of leadership that prioritizes American interests. He recognized the stakes, took decisive action, and laid the foundation for a future where the U.S. economy and military no longer rely on adversaries for critical materials.

The groundwork he set will serve the nation for years to come, ensuring that America remains strong, independent, and prepared — no matter what challenges lie ahead.