Trump-Xi Trade Triumph: Tariffs Slashed and Rare Earths Unlocked in High-Flying Reveal - October 30, 2025

In a candid mid-flight briefing aboard Air Force One on October 30, 2025, President Donald J. Trump unveiled groundbreaking details of a one-year trade truce with China, forged during his whirlwind Asia tour. Fresh from a 90-minute bilateral summit with President Xi Jinping at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea—on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum—Trump hailed the talks as "amazing" and "a 12 out of 10." Key wins include China's suspension of export controls on critical rare earth minerals, immediate purchases of "tremendous amounts" of U.S. soybeans and agricultural goods, and a U.S. crackdown on fentanyl precursors in exchange for halving punitive tariffs on Chinese imports from 57% to 47%. Flanked by top advisors, Trump touted the deal as a step toward "Making America Great Again" while injecting stability into global markets, with plans for reciprocal visits—Trump to Beijing in April, Xi to the U.S. soon after. The revelation, shared with reporters en route back to Washington, signals de-escalation in the simmering trade war, boosting U.S. farmers and tech sectors reliant on rare earths, though experts caution it's a short-term fix amid broader tensions over technology and Taiwan.