<h1>Treasury plans allied legal and trade response to tightened rare earth export controls, invoking WTO Article XXI and countermeasures</h1> A U.S. Treasury official announced plans to coordinate with allied governments to craft a collective legal and trade response to another country's tightened export controls on rare earth minerals, which the controlling state cites national security grounds. Potential measures referenced include coordinated tariffs, multilateral diplomatic pressure, and supply-chain diversification efforts. Legal issues implicated include invocation of national security exceptions under trade agreements, potential WTO dispute settlement claims, export-control reciprocity, and sanctions or countermeasures. A coordinated strategy aims to mitigate market dominance risks and preserve critical industrial and defense supply chains.