China bans the export of certain metals in response to US restrictions on chips.

Starting today, Chinese exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the United States have been suspended. Although gallium and germanium exports were halted in October, antimony exports had already decreased by 97% since September. This measure was announced a day after the U.S. government reported intensifying restrictions on technology exports to China, particularly regarding computer chips.

The ban decree includes materials that could have "military applications." The primary focus of the Chinese ban is on what their government refers to as "dual-use items," meaning those that can be used by both the military and civilians. As a result of this restriction, exports of graphite to the United States will also have to undergo more stringent reviews, although they have not yet been completely banned.

Gallium and germanium are essential components for semiconductor manufacturing, while germanium is also used in fiber optic cables and solar cells. Antimony, on the other hand, is found in shotgun cartridges, nuclear weapons, night vision goggles, and some batteries.

These bans are significant considering that China accounts for 48% of the world's mined antimony production, 59.2% of refined germanium, and 98.8% of refined gallium. Now, the United States faces the challenge of finding new deposits containing these materials, as price impacts have already been observed; for example, antimony trioxide has increased in cost by 228% since the beginning of the year.

In response to the restrictions imposed by the United States, China has been seeking ways to achieve technological autonomy. Progress in this direction includes the development of HarmonyOS, the integration of Huawei chips into artificial intelligence technologies, and the implementation of the Beidou Satellite Navigation System.