By Amy Lv and Lewis Jackson
BEIJING(Reuters) – China announced sweeping export controls on Tuesday targeting five metals used across defence, clean energy and other industries, minutes after an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump came into effect.
The decision to restrict tungsten, indium among other metals is the latest attempt by China to weaponise its dominance in the mining and processing of a host of critical minerals vital to everything from smartphones and electric car batteries to infrared missiles and ammunition.
Here are a list minerals that have been restricted by Beijing in some way since 2023:
BATTERY, LITHIUM AND GALLIUM PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
China proposed to restrict the export of some technology used to make cutting-edge battery components and process critical minerals lithium and gallium.
The January announcement did not say when the proposed changes, which were open for public comment until early February, could come into force.
ANTIMONY, GALLIUM, GERMANIUM
Beijing banned the export of the three critical minerals to the United States in response to a fresh crackdown on China’s chip sector from Washington.
The outright ban only applies to the United States, however over the 18-months prior China had steadily introduced export licensing regimes for the three metals.
In the case of antimony, a strategic metal used in flame retardants, solar power equipment and munitions, exports to big buyers like Japan, India and South Korea had barely restarted three months after export licenses were introduced.
China dominates the supply chain for the three metals and mines or refines between half and 90% of global supply of those minerals.
RARE EARTHS MAGNET TECHNOLOGY
In December 2023, China banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, adding it to an existing ban on technology to extract and separate the critical materials.
Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make the magnets that turn power into motion in electric vehicles, wind turbines and electronics.
While common in the earth’s crust, China has mastered the technically difficult and environmentally-harmful refining process. It produces almost 90% of global refined output.
GRAPHITE
In October 2023, China said it would require export permits for some graphite products to protect national security.
China is the world’s top graphite producer and exporter, and also refines more than 90% of the world’s graphite into a material that is used in virtually all EV batteries.
(This story has been refiled to correct dateline formatting and byline)
(Reporting by Tony Munroe and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Sonali Paul)
