‘No Great Big Grand Final Bargain’: Brit Hume Says Deal With China Still ‘Has A Long Way To Go’

Fox News political analyst Brit Hume weighed in on Fox News Wednesday about President Donald Trump’s deal with China, saying that it’s of a short-term nature and limited scope.

Trump declared the U.S.-China trade deal “done” after talks in London, restoring the earlier framework and addressing disputes over rare earth elements. During an appearance on “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Hume said that while the deal could be seen as a step forward, it’s far from a final resolution.

“Well this is being called a framework, which means that there’s more negotiating to come to get something larger. It’s a short-term deal from what we understand was the last six months as it applies to those rare earth minerals that we so badly want to be able to continue,” Hume told guest host Aishah Hasnie.

The deal focuses on relaxing Chinese regulations on rare earth mineral exports, a critical resource for high-tech industries in the U.S. Hume emphasized what he said was the importance of these minerals, adding they are vital for a range of high-tech products. He said that while progress has been made, there is still much to be done before reaching a final agreement.

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“We need them for all kinds of high-tech products and so on. So I guess it’s a step in the right direction, but this is no great big grand final bargain with China. We got a long way to go to get that,” Hume said.

In April, China imposed export controls on several rare earth elements critical for weapon systems, cars and other advanced technologies, sparking concerns among policymakers and industry leaders about potential supply chain disruptions. Between 2020 and 2023, China supplied 70% of rare earth metal imports to the U.S., according to a January report from the U.S. Geological Survey. China holds approximately 44 million tons of rare earth reserves, while the U.S. has only 1.9 million tons.

Trump said that under the new trade deal, the U.S. will maintain a 55% tariff on Chinese imports, while China will impose a 10% tariff on American goods. The agreement follows a sharp 35% decline in Chinese exports to the U.S. in May and allows American universities to continue accepting Chinese international students despite previous concerns over Trump’s suspension order.

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