schwitt1 writing :
Chinese exports of two rare minerals essential for semiconductor manufacturing fell to zero in August, a month after Beijing imposed restrictions on foreign sales, citing national security. China produces about 80% of the world’s gallium and about 60% of germanium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, but it did not sell any of those elements in international markets last month, according to Chinese customs data released Wednesday. In July, the country exported 5.15 tons of forged gallium products and 8.1 tons of forged germanium products.
Asked about the lack of exports last month, He Yadong, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce, told a news briefing Thursday that the department had received requests from companies to export both materials. Some requests have been approved, he said, without elaborating. The restrictions signal China’s apparent willingness to retaliate against U.S. export controls, despite concerns about economic growth, as a technology war simmers.
No one ever said weaning yourself off PCC would be easy, Schwit1 adds.
