China Bans the Export of Materials Key to Electronic Devices

Guess what? In response to the Biden’s administration’s efforts to restrict US companies from doing business with 140 Chinese companies, severe export license controls have been put in place. China has responded by banning export of materials critical to the production of semiconductors and other electronic-related articles. This includes gallium, germanium, graphite and antimony- materials required to practice much of our electronics technology. The ban includes diamonds and super-hard synthetic materials (abrasives?). Tungsten, magnesium and aluminum may be next.

The US has previously “restricted advanced semiconductor technology to companies in other countries, though it excluded companies in key allies like Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands that are thought to have adequate export controls of their own” according to Elaine Kurtenbach writing for Manufacturing.Net.

Not helping is Trump’s loud and repeated yammering about import duties. Is he unaware of China’s considerable ability to strike back? Or can’t he be bothered with details like this during his nationalistic diatribes?

Maybe the Biden/Trump Whitehouse is not aware or troubled by the extent to which China has been blessed with most of the world’s supply of many critical elements. The materials subject to Chinese export controls are included in the 50 critical minerals as identified by the US Geological Survey. Key among them are gallium and germanium. Neither of them have been exported to the US by China for a long time. Antimony shipments to the US have plunged as well.

Germanium comes from zinc refining and the US gov’t has a large stockpile. Gallium is a byproduct from bauxite in aluminum production. Antimony is often isolated as a side stream in silver, copper and lead production. Antimony is alloyed at 0.5 to 1.5 % with lead electrodes in lead-acid batteries to harden them. Antimony can be recovered from the lead.

And then there are the rare earth elements (REE). China has the largest deposits and has become unwilling to export unprocessed REEs, instead preferring to sell up the value chain. It is the business savvy way to do it, after all.