On November 9, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced the temporary suspension of the ban on approving the export of "dual-use materials" related to gallium, germanium, antimony and super hard materials to the US.
The decision takes effect immediately and will last until November 27, 2026, reversing the ban issued by Beijing from the end of 2024. At the same time, China has also suspended strict inspection regulations on the final use purpose for graphite exports - an important raw material for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.
Analysts said that this is an unusual leniency move in the context of Chairman Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump having just reached an agreement to temporarily suspend tax increases and trade retaliation measures within 1 year.
Gallium, germanium and antimony are all strategic metals in the production of semiconductor chips, radar, ph Electrical equipment and super hard alloy. As China - a global supplier of more than 80% of gallium - imposed controls last year, the international market was rocked by concerns about supply chain disruption.
The "unlocking" is being assessed as an effort to stabilize the trade environment, especially when the Chinese economy is in need of boosting high-tech exports. chipmakers in the US and Asia are expected to benefit in the short term from more stable supply.
Previously, Beijing also temporarily suspended control of exports of some rare earths and lithium batteries, showing a trend of loosening coordination after high-level contacts between the two countries.
However, observers say that technological tensions are still the "main front". The US continues to maintain restrictions on exports of advanced chips and AI technology to China, while Beijing continues to invest heavily in localizing the semiconductor manufacturing chain.
