'Fully and immediately': US urges China to honour trade commitments, flags concerns over rare earths and farm purchases

The US has urged China to honour its trade commitments on agricultural purchases, rare earths and critical minerals, warning that progress depends on concrete results. Beijing also raised concerns over recent US trade restrictions.

The United States has urged China to fulfil commitments made under a trade agreement reached in Busan, South Korea, a year ago, raising concerns over Beijing's recent actions on agricultural purchases, rare earths and other critical minerals, Bloomberg reported.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer raised the issues during a video call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Bessent stressed the need for Beijing to implement its commitments fully and immediately, the Treasury Department said in a readout on Friday. He also flagged recent Chinese actions and said Washington would assess China's compliance based on tangible outcomes.

"Continued progress depends on concrete results," Bessent said, according to the Treasury statement.

'China need to honour its pledges'

Greer, meanwhile, highlighted the need for China to take concrete steps to honour its pledges, particularly those concerning agricultural purchases, rare earths and other critical minerals, his office said.

China also raised concerns during the discussion, according to a Bloomberg report. The two sides exchanged views on recent US trade and economic restrictions, with Beijing expressing "serious concerns", state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. The discussions were described as frank and constructive, with both sides agreeing to strengthen cooperation and manage their differences.

The latest engagement comes amid uncertainty over the implementation of the trade truce between the world's two largest economies. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to extend the arrangement until January 10, keeping tariffs from rising and ensuring the continued flow of rare earths.

Bessent, Greer and He had also met in New York ahead of Trump's September meeting with Xi. Both sides had described those discussions as productive.

US flags delays in China's commitments

However, Washington has continued to flag delays in some of China's commitments. In an October interview with Bloomberg, Greer said the US was receiving rare earths from China, but supplies were not arriving at the agreed volume or pace.

Greer also pointed to differences within the Chinese administration over implementation, saying some government departments appeared engaged while others were more bureaucratic.

When the trade truce was extended in September, Bessent had said China's delivery on certain commitments had been imperfect, particularly its agricultural purchases. He had also said Beijing was making substantial purchases of US soybeans.

Trump to meet Xi in Shenzhen

The latest warning comes less than two weeks before Trump and Xi are expected to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. Bessent has previously indicated that he could hold further discussions with He on the sidelines of the gathering, including on the US-China artificial intelligence dialogue announced in September.

The trade agreement also faces a near-term deadline. Tariff exclusions for certain Chinese products are due to expire on November 10, and US officials have yet to indicate whether they will be extended under the truce.

The uncertainty has drawn criticism from industry groups, including the Consumer Technology Association, which has argued that the exclusions are important for supply chains.

Any disruption to the arrangement could revive concerns among businesses and financial markets about a prolonged trade conflict between Washington and Beijing. The Trump administration has sought to avoid an escalation that could put additional pressure on the US economy.

Bessent, who leads the Trump administration's engagement with China, has also criticised Beijing over trade imbalances. After the Group of 20 meetings in North Carolina in September, he said China had declined to endorse a joint statement that included provisions on critical minerals, industrial overcapacity, dumping and centrally planned economies.

About the Author

Prabhakar Jha is a journalist and digital news editor with nearly a decade of experience in online media, specialising in breaking news, politics, national affairs. Having built his career across fast-paced digital newsrooms, he has developed a reputation for delivering accurate, timely, and reader-friendly stories while leading editorial teams during high-pressure news cycles. In 2026, he joined LiveMint as a Digital Content Producer. <br><br> A postgraduate in History from the University of Delhi, Prabhakar combines strong editorial judgment with a keen interest in public policy, governance, economics, and global affairs. Before joining LiveMint, he worked with leading digital publications, including News9Live and The Times of India, where he handled breaking news, copy editing, headline writing, live coverage, and newsroom coordination. <br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Prabhakar is passionate about long-form writing and storytelling. He has a particular interest in global affairs. An avid reader with a love for literary fiction, he also enjoys blogging, poetry, and working on creative writing projects.