We’re still inside the sequence of energies described in Newton’s Third Law of Motion, “every motion has an equal and opposite response.” On this case, Apple, already badly bruised by Trump’s tariffs and their impact on its business, will now take one other kicking as nations react to those oddly calculated trade taxes. Europe is gunning for Apple’s services, while China is about to stay among the world’s rarest components behind its own trade wall.
The third law
China, predictably, isn’t pleased. Not only has it slapped a reciprocal 34% tariff against US goods, however it also introduced export restrictions on rare earth materials — this may have a direct and significant impact on tech, as these are utilized in almost every electronic device.
That features Macs and PCs, smartphones and tablets, in addition to weapons systems, energy-generation tech, and electric cars. China produces around 90% of the world’s refined rare earths and the brand new export restrictions are being applied against exports to all countries. The exports haven’t been banned, but the most recent move does give Beijing the strategic power to limit them and even turn them off. (Not all is lost, after all. Other nations even have a few of these materials, including Canada, for example).
