China to Ban Critical Mineral Exports to US

The ban on exports of germanium, gallium to the U.S. market comes a day after Washington tightened restrictions on Beijing’s access to advanced semiconductors.

China will further tighten the export of several critical minerals destined for the United States, the commerce ministry announced on Dec. 3, a day after Washington tightened restrictions on Beijing’s access to advanced semiconductors.

“In principle, the export of dual-use items related to gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials to the United States shall not be permitted,” China’s commerce ministry said in a statement.

China will also tighten end-usage review for graphite exports to the United States, it added.

Unlike the existing export controls on these critical minerals, the new bans specifically target the United States.

The Chinese ministry said the new restrictions on minerals with both civilian and military applications are intended to “safeguard national security and interests” and comply with international obligations related to “non-proliferation.” These measures take effect immediately.

Beijing’s announcement follows Washington’s decision to expand export controls on semiconductors and manufacturing equipment to China, aiming to hinder the communist regime’s development of advanced military technologies.

In response, China’s commerce ministry expressed its “firm opposition,” saying it would take “necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” according to a Dec. 2 statement.

Since July last year, China has already taken steps to curb exports of gallium and germanium, metals vital for semiconductor manufacturing. That move was widely interpreted as retaliation against the United States and other Western nations over their efforts to limit the regime’s access to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.

China is the world’s leading producer of gallium and germanium, supplying around 80 percent of the global production of gallium and 60 percent of germanium, according to Critical Raw Materials Alliance.

However, despite its dominant role in the international supply chain, data from China’s customs show that during the first 10 months of this year, there were no exports of gallium and antimony to the United States, whether in wrought or unwrought forms.

The export control on antimony, a little-known yet vital metal used in making military applications, including nuclear weapons productions and infrared sensors, came into effect in September this year.

China remains a top global supplier of antimony, though its production has fallen significantly in recent years. In 2023, China accounted for nearly half of the world’s output, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Beijing’s tightening of critical metals exports has raised concerns among U.S. lawmakers and experts, who said the communist regime will leverage its stronghold on these metals as a bargaining chip amid rising trade tensions with Washington.

“Critical minerals are the building blocks of everything from basic consumer goods to advanced military technology,” Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House China Committee, said in July while announcing the creation of a new bipartisan working group aimed at countering the regime’s dominance of critical minerals supply chain.

“America’s reliance on the Chinese Communist Party’s control of the critical mineral supply chain would quickly become an existential vulnerability in the event of a conflict.”

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China to Ban Critical Mineral Exports to US

Christopher Hyland

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