From Reuters via Investing.com, December 3:
China has banned exports to the U.S. of items related to the minerals gallium, germanium and antimony that have potential military applications, its commerce ministry said on Tuesday, a day after Washington's latest crackdown on China's chip sector.
Beijing's directive on so-called dual-use items with both military and civilian use, which cites national security concerns and takes immediate effect, also requires stricter review of end-usage for graphite items shipped to the U.S.
"In principle, the export of gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials to the United States shall not be permitted," the ministry said.
The curbs strengthen enforcement of existing limits on exports of the critical minerals that Beijing began rolling out last year, but apply only to the U.S., in the latest escalation of trade tensions between the world's two largest economies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office.
However, there have been no Chinese shipments of wrought and unwrought germanium or gallium to the U.S. this year through October, although it was the fourth and fifth-largest market for the minerals, respectively, a year earlier, Chinese customs data show.
Gallium and germanium are used in semiconductors, while germanium is also used in infrared technology, fibre optic cables and solar cells.
Similarly, China's overall October shipments of antimony products plunged by 97% from September after Beijing's move to limit its exports took effect....
....MUCH MORE
This has been coming for a while, if interested see 2023's "China chokes exports of semiconductor secret sauces gallium and germanium" and August 2024's "China to restrict exports of strategic metal antimony".
