China bans export of key minerals to U.S. as trade frictions escalate

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Source: Yahoo! Finance/Reuters

Updated Tue, December 3, 2024 at 7:36 AM EST


(Reuters) — China has banned exports to the United States of items related to the minerals gallium, germanium and antimony that have potential military applications, it said on Tuesday, a day after Washington's latest crackdown on China's chip sector.

A commerce ministry directive on dual-use items with both military and civilian applications cited national security concerns. The order, which 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 commerce 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. market, in the latest escalation of trade tensions between the world's two largest economies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office.

Chinese customs data show there have been no 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.

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-bans-exports-gallium-germanium-082140769.html