Amy Lv and Tony Munroe of Reuters report that Beijing has banned exports of key minerals needed for the chip industry, EV Batteries, and military applications. They write:
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. […]”Everyone will dig in their backyard to find antimony. Many countries will try to find antimony deposits,” said a minor metals trader in Europe, declining to be named. […]
Gallium and germanium are used in semiconductors, while germanium is also used in infrared technology, fibre optic cables and solar cells. […]
“It comes as no surprise that China has responded to the increasing restrictions by American authorities, current and imminent, with its own restrictions on the supply of these strategic minerals,” said Peter Arkell, chairman of the Global Mining Association of China.
“It’s a trade war that has no winners,” he said.
Separately, several Chinese industry groups called on Tuesday for their members to buy domestically made semiconductors, with one saying U.S. chips were no longer safe and reliable.
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