The Trump administration plans to reject U.S. ethane exports to China that are heavily relied upon for plastics manufacturing in an apparent escalation of the temporary trade war truce between the world’s biggest superpowers.

A group representing auto suppliers in the United States called on Wednesday for immediate action to address China's restricted exports of rare earths and other minerals, warning the issue could quickly disrupt auto parts production.

"I like President Xi of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

US President Donald Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping was “extremely hard to make a deal with” in a comment that comes as frictions rise between the two countries, weeks after they reached an agreement to de-escalate trade tensions.

President Donald Trump said in a late-night social media post that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was very tough to make a deal with, raising questions about whether a fragile economic truce between the world’s two largest economies will hold.