China Bans Export Of Key Tech Materials To The U.S.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on Sound & Video Contractor.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced on Tuesday it would be banning U.S.-bound exports of several key materials with tech and military applications, including gallium, germanium, and antimony. As the world’s largest source of gallium and geranium, China has previously announced that it would be requiring exporters intending on sending these materials to the U.S. to apply for licenses. This move, in conjunction with the looming possibility of future tariffs being placed on Chinese goods, could see the cost of semiconductors and computer chips rise exponentially.

This ban is being seen as retaliation agains the On U.S. government for its recent limits placed on exports to Chinese tech manufacturers in an attempt to stifle the country’s chipmaking efforts. According to Reuters, the package includes curbs on high bandwidth memory chips, as well as limts on 24 chipmaking tools, three software tools, and curbs on equipment “made in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.”

Both the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the China Semiconductor Industry Association have issued statements criticizing the United States for heightening its export controls, suggesting that the government may be overreaching.

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