Trade Rep Says Trump May Fast-Track 100 Percent Tariff If China Escalates Rare Earth Fight

Jamieson Greer says the outcome hinges on Beijing’s next move, with Washington accusing China of weaponizing minerals and destabilizing markets.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Capitol Hill in Washington, on April 8, 2025. Kevin Mohatt/File Photo/ Reuters

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said President Donald Trump may still follow through with a threatened new 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods on Nov. 1—or even sooner—depending on Beijing’s next move in an escalating trade dispute over rare earth mineral supplies.

“A lot depends on what the Chinese do,” Greer told CNBC in an Oct. 14 interview. “They are the ones who have chosen to make this major escalation.”