China suspends ban on exporting dual-use metals to the United States

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China suspends ban on exporting dual-use metals to the United States

China has suspended the ban on the export of the minerals gallium, antimony and germanium, which are essential for modern technology, including the semiconductor industry, to the United States, according to what the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing announced on Sunday, in a new effort to reduce the escalation in the trade war with Washington.

The restrictions prohibited the export of products. "Dual use"That is, for military and civilian purposes.
The ban, which was imposed in December 2024, will be suspended until November 27, 2026, according to the ministry’s statement.

The announcement comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on October 30 in South Korea, where they agreed to reverse some of the punitive measures they had taken as part of the escalation related to customs duties.

At some point, the duties exceeded Which was imposed by both sides by 100%, which hindered trade between the two largest economic powers in the world and caused bottlenecks in global supply chains.

Over the course of the trade war, China sought to exploit its control over basic metals used in various industries, from smart phones to advanced military technology, as a pressure card.

Although gallium, antimony, and germanium are not classified as rare earth metals, they are vital to entire sectors.

China contributes to 94% of the global production of gallium used in integrated circuits, light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic panels, according to a European Union report published in 2024.
As for germanium, China contributes to 83% of its production.

Antimony is used in battery technology and the weapons sector to enhance armor plating and ammunition.
The Ministry of Commerce also announced in its brief statement the easing of restrictions on Exports of graphite-related products, which were also prohibited under controls on dual-use products.

These are the latest de-escalation measures taken by Beijing since the meeting between Trump and Xi.
China announced on Wednesday that it will extend the suspension of additional tariffs on US products for a year, which means that they will remain at 10%.

The economic powerhouse stated that it will stop implementing additional tariffs imposed since March on soybeans and a number of US agricultural products. Other.

These measures affected support for farmers, who constitute an important political force for Trump.
Trump announced in late October that China had agreed to suspend for a year the restrictions imposed on October 9 on the export of rare earth metal technology.

Rare metals constitute a strategic sector dominated by China, and are essential for industry in the fields of defense, vehicles, and consumer electrical equipment.