China: China has announced that the country will restrict exports of rare metals used to manufacture semiconductors due to concerns over national security.

According to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Commerce and China Customs, Chinese exporters will need approval to send certain gallium and germanium products overseas from August 1 to “preserve security and national interests.”

The announcement comes as the United States is reportedly considering new curbs on the export of advanced chips to China.

Gallium, which has been designated a critical raw material by the European Union, is used in the production of integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels for solar panels. Germanium is used to make optical fibres and infrared camera lenses. According to the European Commission., China accounts for about 80 percent of global production of the rare metals.

In recent years, China and the United States have been involved in an intense geopolitical rivalry. This rivalry has led to a series of retaliatory actions in the semiconductor and other crucial technology sectors.

The United States has placed numerous Chinese companies on a blacklist in an attempt to prevent them from accessing American chips and advanced technologies, claiming this is a move to safeguard US national security as these technologies could potentially be used to undermine it.

Furthermore, the United States has been urging its allied and partner countries to impose restrictions on the Chinese tech industry. The Netherlands, for instance, is planning to introduce export limitations targeting China later this year.

In response, Beijing has accused Washington of intentionally stifling Chinese innovation to maintain its own dominance in the technology sector.

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