China lifts export ban on gallium, germanium and antimony to US

[Ben Graham]

China has lifted a nearly year-long ban on exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US, in a further de-escalation of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

In a statement issued on Sunday, China’s commerce ministry said it will pause its export ban on these minerals and related end-use items for about one year. The ban was first imposed in December 2024 in retaliation for US export controls on high-bandwidth memory chips into China towards the end of the Biden administration.

The US considers all three minerals to be critical to its national security and economy. Gallium and germanium are both essential for semiconductors, with the former also used in advanced radar technology and the latter in infrared technology, fiber optic cables and solar cells. Antimony is widely used in military applications such as flame retardants and primers for ammunition.

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According to the consultancy Project Blue, China accounted for almost half of the world’s mined antimony in 2023, as well as nearly 60% of global refined germanium production and 99% of refined gallium output.

The US Geological Survey estimates that the ban on gallium and germanium alone could result in a $3.4 billion hit to the US economy. Around half of the decrease would come from the semiconductor sector, a key battleground between China and the US.

In its statement, the Chinese commerce ministry said the suspension of its 2024 export curbs will take place until Nov. 27, 2026, without providing further details.

The announcement comes just days after China agreed to suspend the additional export controls introduced in early October on rare earths and other battery minerals for one year.