- China suspends export ban on key metals to ease US trade tensions.
- The move follows the Xi-Trump meeting aimed at reducing export-control disputes.
- Lifting restrictions boosts the global supply of gallium, germanium, and antimony.
China has suspended an export ban on gallium, germanium, and antimony - metals essential for advanced manufacturing - marking another measure to alleviate trade tensions with the United States, according to the commerce ministry. The ministry stated in a short announcement that the limitations placed in December 2024 on dual-use materials used for both civilian and military purposes will be lifted until November 27, 2026.
The decision comes after a meeting on October 30 in South Korea between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, during which they concurred on reducing aspects of their trade and export-control dispute. During the peak of the trade conflict, both nations had enacted tariffs in the triple digits that unsettled international supply chains.
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China has consistently maintained a leading role in the provision of essential minerals. According to a 2024 EU report, it represents 94 percent of worldwide gallium production, utilized in semiconductors, LEDs, and solar panels, and 83 percent of global germanium production, crucial for fiber optics and infrared technologies. Antimony is utilized in battery technologies and armor plating for the military.
The ministry stated it would relax export restrictions on products related to graphite, which were previously included in the same dual-use regulation. These actions represent the most recent in a sequence of de-escalation efforts following the Xi-Trump discussion. Beijing prolonged the halt on extra tariffs on US products for another year and ceased additional duties on soybeans and other American agricultural imports - a sector crucial to Trump's political support.