US urges China to meet rare earths, agriculture commitments ahead of Trump-Xi meetings

The Trump administration has warned a top Chinese official that Beijing must immediately implement its commitments under a nearly year-old trade agreement, particularly on ‌delivery of rare earths and other critical minerals and agricultural purchases, the US Trade Representative's office said on Friday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer issued the directive during a call on Friday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, urging him to implement terms of the pact agreed in Busan, South Korea, in November 2025, the US ‌agencies said.

"During the call, Ambassador Greer emphasized the critical importance of China taking concrete actions to fully implement its past commitments, particularly as they relate to agricultural ‌purchases, rare earths, and other critical minerals," USTR said in a statement. The call comes ahead of two final expected meetings this year between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the APEC leaders summit in Shenzhen, November 18-19, and the G20 leaders summit in Miami on December 14 and 15.

Greer said the Trump administration will pursue balanced trade with China by "monitoring compliance of past commitments while unlocking ⁠lasting benefits ​for American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and workers." Greer, Bessent ⁠and other US officials have frequently complained about difficulties that US companies are experiencing in receiving sufficient quantities of rare earths and other critical minerals from China under the Busan agreement, which they say was ⁠designed to lift restrictions put in place in 2025 during a period of heightened tariff escalations between the world's two largest economies.

The Busan trade deal, which expires on January 10, capped ​US tariffs on Chinese goods implemented during Trump's second term at about 20%. China has pledged to buy 25 million metric tons of US soybeans for the ⁠next three years and boost purchases of other American farm goods by $17 billion. "I emphasized the importance of China fully and immediately honoring its commitments, raised concerns about recent Chinese actions and underscored that progress depends on ⁠concrete results," ​Bessent said in a social media post.

The United States would "closely assess China’s implementation of the arrangement," the Treasury said in a statement. Beijing has signaled tariff concessions remain central to its aims, with its commerce ministry saying on Thursday China was open to buying more US farm goods, but only if the two sides implement their ⁠reciprocal tariff-cut agreement.

Following a September summit between Presidents Xi and Trump in Washington, the two sides proposed a $60 billion package of reciprocal tariff cuts, including roughly $17 billion worth ⁠of US farm goods that China imported ⁠in 2024, though the plan has yet to be finalized. The White House said in May that Beijing had agreed to buy $17 billion of US agricultural goods annually from 2026, with this year's target adjusted on a prorated basis. Those purchases were in ‌addition to a commitment ‌made in October last year to buy US soybeans.