China Announces Control of Rare Earth Exports and Counterattacks Chip Sanctions from the United States, Japan, and Europe
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Author : Wanfeng
Update time : 2023-07-06 17:42:00
The global chip war is becoming increasingly fierce. On the eve of Yellen's visit to China, China announced the latest export controls, which will affect the supply of two key semiconductor metal materials and are expected to impact the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union. Further measures may come.
The Chinese government has responded to the US technology blockade on China, and the Ministry of Commerce has announced export controls on two crucial raw materials, gallium and germanium, for chip production. This restriction measure is another major measure taken by China in rare metal control since 2010, when China restricted rare earth exports to Japan due to maritime friction between China and Japan.
China will implement export controls on two metal minerals, gallium and germanium, starting from August 1st, on the grounds of protecting national security. On the 4th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that the regulation is an international practice that is "fair, reasonable, and non discriminatory" and "not targeted at any specific country".
Although China avoids imagining the United States, the international community generally believes that this measure is a technological containment against the United States and its allies. This rare metal export control measure has shocked not only the United States but also the entire Western world.
Gallium and germanium, two metal minerals, are raw materials for technological development in Western countries and are widely used in fields such as semiconductor materials and new energy, with a high dependence on China. According to relevant data, China's gallium production accounts for about 80% of the world's total, while germanium production is about 60%, mainly exported to the United States, the European Union, Japan, and South Korea.