White House says China to lift rare earth export bans, stop probes into US tech companies

Steven

White House says China to lift rare earth export bans, stop probes into US tech companies

Summary

The White House published a fact sheet saying recent US–China trade talks produced several concessions from Beijing: China will lift restrictions on rare earth exports, end investigations targeting US semiconductor companies and take steps to resume trade from Nexperia’s China facilities. At the time of the report, Beijing had not publicly confirmed the White House claims, though China’s Ministry of Commerce said it would consider exemptions related to Nexperia after blaming the Dutch government for the row.

The roundup also covers related Asia tech developments: Singapore seized assets linked to an alleged crypto scam kingpin; Australian authorities raided WiseTech over share-trade concerns; Google is offering Gemini Pro to many Jio 5G subscribers in India; the ESA will open a Japan office; and IDC forecasts a surge in Indian enterprise infrastructure spend driven by AI buildouts.

Key Points

  1. The White House says China will lift export restrictions on rare earths, crucial for many high-tech devices.
  2. Beijing reportedly agreed to terminate antitrust, anti-monopoly and anti-dumping probes into US semiconductor firms (examples named include Nvidia, Qualcomm and Micron).
  3. China will take measures to allow resumption of trade from Nexperia’s facilities in China, easing supply of legacy chips to global markets.
  4. China had not publicly confirmed the White House announcement at the time of reporting; the Ministry of Commerce has commented only on Nexperia, blaming the Dutch government and signalling possible exemptions.
  5. Regional tech news: Singapore seized over S$150m in assets linked to an alleged crypto scam operator; WiseTech was raided over suspicious trades; and Google is bundling Gemini Pro with many Jio 5G plans in India.
  6. IDC expects Indian enterprise infrastructure spending to grow strongly (c.16.4% YoY), driven largely by AI infrastructure and modernisation needs.

Context and relevance

This development, if confirmed, has wide implications: rare earth supply affects manufacturing from consumer electronics to defence systems, and the end of probes into US chip firms could ease tensions in the semiconductor supply chain that have driven diversification and reshoring efforts. For businesses and policymakers, it’s a potential de-escalation that may lower short-term supply risks — but official confirmation from Beijing and details of any agreements are still needed.

Author style

Punchy: this is big — think supply chains, chips and geopolitics all tied together. Read the detail if you work in semiconductors, hardware manufacturing, procurement or trade policy; the ripple effects could matter to device makers and national tech strategies.

Why should I read this

Short version: this could unclog parts of the global tech supply chain and calm a few recent disputes — handy if you buy chips, design hardware or track geopolitical risk. We skimmed the lengthy briefings for you, so you don’t have to.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/03/asia_tech_news_roundup/