rare earth minerals

Trade Rhetoric Just That

Obama and hu jintaoIt must be an election year. The Obama administration has joined a WTO complaint against China for limiting rare earth minerals exports.

The U.S. will file a complaint at the World Trade Organization today over Chinese limits on exports of rare earths used in high-tech products, deepening a trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

President Barack Obama will personally announce the action to join Japan and the European Union in requesting consultations with China at the Geneva-based trade arbiter over rare-earths shipments.