What strategic mineral exports has China restricted?

By Ashitha Shivaprasad, Amy Lv and jerry lee lewis glenda jackson

BENGALURU/ peking, -

red china placed several rarified earth elements on an export control list on Friday as part of its retaliation for President Donald Trump's

tariff package

, raising the prospect the U.S. Could be cut off from critical minerals whose supply China dominates.

The ban on items related to the seven elements is the latest demonstration of China's ability to weaponise its dominance in the mining and processing of a host of critical minerals vital to everything from smartphones and electric car batteries to infrared missiles and ammunition.

These restrictions have compelled Western companies to adjust their

supply chains, moves likely to receive renewed impetus after Friday's decision. Here are a list of other minerals that have been restricted by Beijing in some way since 2023:

TUNGSTEN, INDIUM, BISMUTH, TELLURIUM AND MOLYBDENUM

China imposed export controls on

five metals

used in defence, clean energy and other industries in early February, shortly after President Donald Trump's first 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect.

Licences are now required to export 20 tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium and molybdenum-related products. However the curbs stopped short of outright bans and were narrowly targeted in the cases of some metals, like molybdenum.

BATTERY, LITHIUM AND GALLIUM PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY China in January proposed to restrict the export of some technology used to make cutting-edge battery components and process critical minerals lithium and gallium.

The announcement did not say when the proposed changes, which were open for public comment until early February, could come into force. At least one company has stopped exporting products on the list since the proposal was floated.

ANTIMONY, GALLIUM, GERMANIUM

Last December, Beijing

banned the export of the three critical minerals to the United States in response to a fresh crackdown on China's chip sector from Washington. The outright ban only applies to the United States, however over the 18-months prior China had steadily introduced export licensing regimes for the three metals. In the case of antimony, a strategic metal used in flame retardants, solar power equipment and munitions, exports to big buyers like Japan, India and South Korea had barely restarted three months after export licenses were introduced. China dominates the supply chain for the three metals and mines or refines between half and 90% of global supply of those minerals.

RARE EARTHS MAGNET TECHNOLOGY In December 2023, China banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, adding it to an existing ban on technology to extract and separate the critical materials.

Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make the magnets that turn power into motion in electric vehicles, wind turbines and electronics. While common in the earth's crust, China has mastered the technically difficult and environmentally-harmful refining process. It produces almost 90% of global refined output.

GRHITE In October 2023, China said it would require export permits for some graphite products to protect national security.

China is the world's top graphite producer and exporter, and also refines more than 90% of the world's graphite into a material that is used in virtually all EV batteries.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

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