In Depth: Beijing’s Ban on Mineral Exports to U.S. Leaves Traders Scrambling

As China’s trade war with the U.S. continues to escalate, Beijing has imposed its strictest restrictions yet on exports of critical materials used in semiconductor and defense manufacturing.

On Dec. 3, the commerce ministry banned shipments of gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials to the U.S., and tightened the rules on graphite exports, based on China’s Export Control Law and related regulations. This is the first time that China has explicitly targeted the U.S. by restricting exports of key minerals and prohibiting re-export to the U.S. through third countries.