China announced the suspension of its ban on the export of critical minerals such as gallium, germanium and antimony, as well as ultra-strong metals to the United States.
According to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the decision taken on December 3, 2024, as part of measures that included a ban on the export of dual-use military and civilian products and materials to US defense manufacturers, is suspended until November 27, 2026 The measures state that exports to the United States of critical minerals such as gallium, germanium and antimony, as well as ultra-hard metals widely used in defense and weapons systems, “will not be permitted in principle.”
Exports of graphite, widely used in the production of batteries and fuel cells, as well as in the defense and aerospace industries, will be controlled.
The measures are taken in response to the restrictions. US on chip supplies
The Beijing government’s move followed the introduction by the administration of then US President Joe Biden of additional restrictions on the supply of chips to China.
On December 2, 2024, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the US Department of Commerce announced the introduction of export restrictions on 24 types of equipment for the production of chips and 3 categories of software used for the development of semiconductors.
As part of the restrictions, it was also prohibited export to China of high-speed memory (HBM) chips used in artificial intelligence systems.
The Department of Commerce included another 140 Chinese companies on the “List of Assets Subject to Export Controls.”
The United States and China postponed the resolution of controversial issues
During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held on October 30 in the South Korean city of Busan, the parties reached an agreement to postpone the resolution of critical economic issues. and trade disputes that have fueled tensions in recent months.
On Sept. 29, the United States delayed for a year the implementation of a rule known as the “asset listing” that applies to joint ventures in which the share of foreign companies subject to export controls exceeds 50%. In response, China agreed to delay for a year the entry into force of rare earth export controls adopted on October 9.
On November 7, the Beijing government announced that it would delay for a year the rare earth export controls adopted on November 10.