As of today, Chinese gallium, germanium and antimony are no longer exported to the US. Exports of germanium and gallium had already ceased in October, and antimony exports have fallen 97 percent since September. This official statement comes a day after the US announced that it would do more in China, especially with reference to computer chips.
This ban includes materials that have “potential military applications”. .
The Chinese export ban mainly concerns what the government calls “dual-use items,” which are items that can be used by both the military and civilians. Because of this ban, exports of graphite to the US from China must also undergo stricter reviews. However, they are still not completely banned from export.
Gallium and germanium are used to make semiconductors, and the latter can also be found in fiber optic cables and solar cells. As for antimony, you can find it in shotgun shells, nuclear weapons, night vision goggles, and some batteries.
These export bans are significant because China has produced 48% of the world’s mined antimony, 59.2% of refined germanium and 98.8% of refined gallium production. The US now has to scramble to locate new depots containing these materials as the ban has already affected prices. Antimony trioxide has been 228 percent more expensive since the beginning of this year.
China has been finding ways to be technologically independent since the US banned exports to the central nation. The result of these efforts includes , is used in AI development and the .
