As U.S. and Chinese negotiators meet for trade talks, a primary concern for Washington will be whether Beijing eases the flow of rare earth materials.

In the latest edition of WSJ’s Take On the Week podcast, we look at why rare-earth magnets are at the center of U.S. trade talks with China. We also take a look at inflation ahead of this week’s consumer-price index report,

Chinese export controls on rare earths was a very significant sticking point, Hassett said. With China controlling most of the global rare earth and magnet supply, its restrictions on sending those to the U.