This week, China banned exports of a number of essential minerals to the US, marking the most recent transfer in an escalating collection of tit-for-tat commerce restrictions between the world’s two largest economies.
In explicitly reducing off, relatively than merely proscribing, supplies of strategic significance to the semiconductor, protection, and electrical car sectors, China has clearly crossed a brand new line within the long-simmering commerce battle.
However on the identical time, it chosen minerals that received’t cripple any industries—which leaves China loads of ammunition to inflict better financial ache in response to any additional commerce restrictions that the incoming Trump administration might impose. Learn extra about what drove China’s choice, the way it impacts local weather tech and what’s more likely to occur subsequent.
—James Temple
This story is a part of our MIT Know-how Assessment Explains collection. Let our writers untangle the advanced, messy world of know-how that will help you perceive what’s coming subsequent. You’ll be able to learn extra from the collection right here.
3 issues that didn’t make the ten Breakthrough Applied sciences of 2025 listing
Subsequent month, MIT Know-how Assessment will unveil the 2025 listing of 10 Breakthrough Applied sciences. Yearly, our newsroom seems throughout the fields we cowl for applied sciences which might be having a real breakthrough second. This annual package deal highlights the applied sciences that we predict matter most proper now.
Within the meantime, listed here are three applied sciences that we thought of together with on the 2025 listing however finally determined to go away off. And though these nominees didn’t make the reduce this 12 months, they’re nonetheless value maintaining a tally of. Learn the total story.
