Brace For Supply Chain Disruptions

Group 1: U.S.-China Trade Relations - President Trump is attempting to reduce tensions with China after Beijing's firm response to his 100% tariff threat, indicating that China "will not back down" [4] - Economists show slight optimism regarding the U.S. economy, but job growth expectations have declined according to an NABE survey [5] Group 2: Rare Earths and Critical Minerals - China has tightened its export controls on rare earths, prompting the U.S. government to intensify efforts to secure supplies and reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains [5] - The Pentagon plans to acquire up to $1 billion worth of critical minerals essential for defense systems and advanced technologies, with recent solicitations including $500 million for cobalt and $245 million for antimony [6] - Australia is considering mandated floor prices for critical minerals and investing in new rare earth projects as part of a trade deal with the U.S., discussing a $777 million strategic reserve for critical minerals [8] Group 3: Automotive Industry Developments - General Motors (GM) is set to benefit from its efforts since 2021 to secure domestic rare earth magnet supply, potentially becoming the only U.S. automaker with significant direct supply from multiple factories [7] - GM has established multi-year supply agreements with MP Materials and Noveon Magnetics, although the extent of U.S. production meeting GM's rare earth magnet demand remains unclear [7]