Greer presses China on farm purchases and rare earths

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told China's Vice Premier He Lifeng on a November 6 videoconference that China must take concrete action to implement its past commitments, particularly on agricultural purchases, rare earths and other critical minerals, the USTR readout says.

Why it matters: The call puts farm purchases and critical minerals compliance, not new tariffs, at the centre of the US China trade file for now, which is the channel that decides soybean demand and magnet and battery input supply into 2027.

Data as of USTR readout published November 6, 2026, read in full in this run; it is the primary document and the source of record for what the US side says was raised. No Chinese readout of the Greer call was in the candidate pool. This is a separate document from the Treasury readout of Secretary Bessent's call with He Lifeng covered on November 6, although the USTR text says Greer and Bessent took part in the same videoconference.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative published its readout on November 6 of a videoconference held that morning between Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng of China on the US China trade and economic relationship. A readout is an announced account of a conversation, not an agreement, and nothing in this one announces new measures, deadlines or purchases.

The substance is a compliance demand. Greer emphasized, in the readout’s words, the critical importance of China taking concrete actions to fully implement its past commitments, particularly as they relate to agricultural purchases, rare earths and other critical minerals. The administration says it will continue to pursue balanced trade with China by monitoring compliance with past commitments while unlocking lasting benefits for American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and workers.

Two of the three named items are physical supply questions. Agricultural purchases are the soybean and farm goods channel, where Chinese buying is the marginal demand for US exporters. Rare earths and other critical minerals are the input channel for magnets, batteries and defence manufacturing, where Chinese export controls have been the standing friction. Naming both in one sentence tells exporters and manufacturers which two files Washington is measuring Beijing against.

This story is distinct from the Treasury readout of Secretary Bessent’s call with He Lifeng that this site covered on November 6. The USTR document is the trade office’s own account, led by the trade representative, and it is the compliance wording, agricultural purchases and rare earths named together, that is new. What would change the picture is a Chinese readout with different wording, a purchase announcement, or an export licensing move. None of those is in this document, and none is claimed here.

Greer presses China on farm purchases and rare earths

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