USTR says China 'deferred' when US reached out for phone call after export controls expansion

WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Trade Representative Jamison Greer said on Sunday that the U.S. reached out to China for a phone call following an announcement that it was expanding its rare earths export controls but Beijing deferred. "I can tell you that we were not notified, and quickly, as soon as we found out from public sources, we reached out to the Chinese to have a phone call, and they deferred," Greer told Fox News' "Sunday Briefing," while calling China's move "a power grab." U.S. President Donald Trump responded on Friday to China's expansion by imposing 100% tariffs on China's U.S.-bound exports, along with new export controls on "any and all critical software" by November 1. (Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Mark Porter)

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