China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on December 3 that China will tighten controls on exports of specific dual-use items to the US.
Specific measures include banning exports of such items to US military users or for military purposes, and tightening restrictions on exports to the US of items related to gallium, germanium, antimony, superhard materials and graphite.
The materials are important in the manufacturing of semiconductors, lithium batteries and solar cells, as well as some military or aerospace equipment.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said at a press conference that the measures are a “reasonable move to safeguard China’s own security interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation.”
On December 2, the US issued its latest control measures on semiconductor exports to China and banned 140 Chinese enterprises, which China described as “a typical economic coercion and non-market practice,” Xinhua reported.
In July 2023, China also issued export restrictions on the above-mentioned materials, but did not target specific countries. Experts said these new restrictions are stricter and more targeted as the government has tightened supervision of end users and destinations.
According to news portal guancha.cn, in the first half of 2024, the average price of gallium and germanium on the international market rose by 50-60 percent and that of antimony doubled.
Old Version
