US blasts China’s export ban on key minerals, vows ‘necessary steps’

Beijing’s new restrictions on germanium and gallium exports ‘underscore the need to diversify away from China’, US State Department tells the Post

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China holds a large proportion of the world’s supply of gallium and germanium. Photo: Reuters

Khushboo Razdanin Washington

Published: 7:01am, 4 Dec 2024Updated: 9:18am, 4 Dec 2024

Washington on Tuesday condemned Beijing’s new export restrictions on key dual-use materials – gallium, germanium and graphite – which are vital for military and civilian technologies, and pledged to take “necessary steps” to prevent further “coercive” measures.

“We are still assessing the new controls, but we will take necessary steps to mitigate the impact and deter further PRC coercive actions”, a US State Department representative said in an emailed response to questions, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.

The spokesperson added that “these new controls only underscore the importance of strengthening our efforts with other countries to de-risk and diversify critical supply chains away from the PRC”.

In banning the export of items related to the critical minerals to the US on Monday, China’s commerce ministry cited national-security concerns, ratcheting up what had consisted of measured reactions to Washington’s attempts to block Beijing access to the most advanced technologies.

The move came a day after the US Commerce Department expanded existing export controls on chipmaking equipment produced by American companies at foreign facilities.

The US also blacklisted about 140 Chinese entities, accusing them of acting on behalf of Beijing.