China is a major producer of important raw materials for the semiconductor industry. Now Beijing is slamming the door on their export to the USA – in response.
China has banned the export of important raw materials and goods for civil and military purposes to the USA. Gallium, germanium and the semi-metal antimony are affected with immediate effect, the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing announced. The raw materials are important for the arms industry and chip manufacturers. China, as an important country of origin for the metals, had already restricted their export. Export controls for graphite would be further tightened, it was said.
The agency justified the move by saying that the US had politicized economic, trade and technical issues and used them as a weapon. Washington had unjustifiably restricted the export of products to China for reasons of national security and had included numerous companies in sanctions lists, a spokesman said.
Countermeasure following US decision
China’s move follows Washington’s decision to take even tougher action against the Chinese semiconductor industry. The US announced additional export controls to slow down development. The new measures prohibit the export of otherhttps://youtu.be/g3OpnrHN7Q0?si=t_oHx_VGNHQ3AWfm key technologies such as high-performance storage and semiconductor tools that are manufactured by US companies or using American technology. In addition, 140 other Chinese companies have been placed on a blacklist that makes access to US technologies in this area almost impossible.
Sanctions Against China
Previously, there had been several rounds of chip sanctions against China, which were gradually tightened. Some experts point out that the US approach has made Chinese even more determined to build its own technologies in order to reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers.
The technology conflict between the US and china gained momentum under the first Trump administration. Citing national security concerns, Washington started to pursue Chinese tech firms like Huawei at that time. Under President Joe Biden, these measures were not only continued, but even expanded.