China suspended an export ban to the US that had targeted gallium, germanium and antimony, metals crucial for modern technology, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced yesterday in a de-escalation of the trade war with Washington.
The restrictions banned the export of dual-use goods, materials that can have both civilian and military applications.
Imposed December last year, the ban is suspended until November next year, the ministry said in a statement.
Photo: AP
The announcement comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump met on Oct. 30 in South Korea and agreed to walk back some punitive measures imposed during their tit-for-tat tariff escalation.
At one point, duties on both sides had reached prohibitive triple-digit levels, hampering trade between the world’s two largest economies and snarling global supply chains.
Throughout the trade war, China has sought to leverage its chokehold over the critical minerals underpinning everything from smartphones to advanced military technology. Gallium, germanium and antimony are not classed as rare earth elements but are crucial for entire sectors of the economy.
China accounts for 94 percent of the world’s production of gallium — used in integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels — according to a report by the EU published last year.
For germanium, essential for fiber optics and infrared sensors, China makes up 83 percent of production.
Antimony is used both in battery technology and by the arms industry to reinforce armor plating and ammunition.
In its brief statement, the ministry also announced the easing of restrictions on exports of graphite-related products, which had likewise been banned under the controls on dual-use goods.
These are the latest de-escalation measures taken by Beijing since the Xi-Trump meeting.
Last week, China announced that it would extend the suspension of additional tariffs on US goods for one year, keeping them at 10 percent.
The commerce ministry said it would cease applying additional tariffs imposed since March on soybeans and a number of other US agricultural products. These measures severely impacted a key source of Trump’s political support, farmers.
Trump announced at the end of last month that China had agreed to suspend the restrictions imposed on Oct. 9 on the export of rare earths technology for one year.
Rare earths are a field dominated by China and are essential for manufacturing in many areas.
Contract chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) yesterday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Polar Semiconductor LLC to collaborate on the production of 8-inch wafers in the US. The collaboration aims to strengthen 8-inch wafer manufacturing in the US amid Washington’s efforts to increase onshore manufacturing of semiconductors, contribute to supply chain resilience against shifting geopolitical dynamics, and ensure a secure domestic supply of power semiconductors critical to automotive, electric grids, robotic manufacturing and data centers, the companies said in a joint statement. Under the MOU, Polar and UMC will identify devices for Polar to manufacture at
TARIFF TALKS: The US secretary of commerce is eyeing more than US$300 billion in investments and said Taiwan would train US workers, but Taipei has denied the latter US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the US is expecting a large investment pledge from Taiwan in trade talks, while President William Lai (賴清德) listed areas that need improvement in order for projects to be completed. “We’re in the midst of discussions,” Lutnick said on Wednesday. “But the fact is, this administration’s goal is to bring semiconductor manufacturing to America.” Lai on Wednesday said Taiwan is supportive of US President Donald Trump’s goal of reindustrializing the US, including efforts to ramp up semiconductor production. Such a goal would require the US to reduce its reliance on Taiwan as a key source
The demise of the coal industry left the US’ Appalachian region in tatters, with lost jobs, spoiled water and countless kilometers of abandoned underground mines. Now entrepreneurs are eyeing the rural region with ambitious visions to rebuild its economy by converting old mines into solar power systems and data centers that could help fuel the increasing power demands of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. One such project is underway by a non-profit team calling itself Energy DELTA (Discovery, Education, Learning and Technology Accelerator) Lab, which is looking to develop energy sources on about 26,305 hectares of old coal land in
Netflix on Friday faced fierce criticism over its blockbuster deal to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. The streaming giant is already viewed as a pariah in some Hollywood circles, largely due to its reluctance to release content in theaters and its disruption of traditional industry practices. As Netflix emerged as the likely winning bidder for Warner Bros — the studio behind Casablanca, the Harry Potter movies and Friends — Hollywood’s elite launched an aggressive campaign against the acquisition. Titanic director James Cameron called the buyout a “disaster,” while a group of prominent producers are lobbying US Congress to oppose the deal,
RSS