Chinese export controls on gallium, germanium, and graphite were intended to hit US green energy and semiconductor supply chains where it hurts by starving them, or at least complicating the sourcing, of these critical minerals. But as blows in the emerging US-China tech war go, so far, they have been closer to a jab than a haymaker. Analysis of US Customs data indicates that China's shares of total US imports of these commodities haven't moved much, if at all.
The export controls were announced in July (gallium and germanium) and October (graphite) of 2023, respectively. They were widely…
