China Postpones Export Controls on Gallium, Germanium, Antimony, and Graphite to the US for One Year

China has decided to postpone for one year its export control measures on dual-use materials-such as gallium, germanium, and graphite-that can be used for both military and civilian purposes, in relation to exports to the United States.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are shaking hands after concluding the US-China summit at Naraemaru in the 5th Air Mobility Wing of the Busan Air Force Base on the 30th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

On November 9, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced that it would suspend the enforcement of Article 2 of the "Notice on Strengthening Export Controls of Dual-Use Materials to the United States," which was issued in December of last year, until November 27 of next year.

Article 2 of the notice states, "In principle, exports of dual-use materials related to gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials to the United States are not permitted," and adds, "Exports of dual-use graphite materials to the United States will be subject to stricter end-user and end-use reviews."

Gallium and germanium are widely used in various products, including semiconductors, solar panels, lasers, and night vision devices. Antimony is used in a range of products from batteries to weapons, while graphite is a key raw material for secondary batteries. China, which dominates the global supply of these minerals, began implementing full-scale export controls in 2023, effectively weaponizing its resources.

Previously, China had added the caveat that its export control lists or measures were "not targeting any specific country" when making such announcements, but in this notice, it unusually specified the United States, which at the time had been imposing a series of sanctions against China.

However, despite the announcement, Article 1 of the notice-which bans exports of dual-use materials for military users or military purposes in the United States-remains unchanged.

This year, the United States and China have exchanged high tariffs and various trade retaliation measures, but on October 30, during the summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping held in Busan, the two countries agreed to a trade war truce. Since then, both countries have consecutively announced suspensions of additional tariffs and rare earth export controls.