China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications, as a general principle, lashing back at U.S. limits on semiconductor-related exports.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications.
The ratcheting up of trade restrictions comes as President-elect Donald Trump has been threatening to sharply raise tariffs on imports from China and other countries, potentially intensifyi
This is China banning the export of it’s rare metals to the US. We’re not even going to notice it. We have these available to us from other sources and domestic mining.
Antimony is rough, it’s only found in China and Russia and it’s critical to armor piercing rounds and all kinds of ammo. You can still make stuff without it but the ammo is inferior.
Antimony comes from Stibnite and is available in Europe and Canada. We’re not running out of that any time soon.