(Reuters) – China will impose export limits on antimony to protect national interests and security, the government said on Thursday, adding to a series of measures to limit global availability of critical minerals whose supply the country dominates.
Following is a list minerals that have come under export limits from Beijing since last year.
ANTIMONY
Beijing will impose export limits on antimony and related elements and gold antimony smelting and separation technology, effective from Sept. 15.
China is the world’s largest producer of antimony, a strategic metal used in flame retardants, batteries, munitions and photovoltaic equipment, accounting for 48% of global antimony mine production last year, U.S. Geological Survey data showed.
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 magnets that turn power into motion for use in electric vehicles, wind turbines and electronics.
GRAPHITE
In October 2023, China said it will 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 the material that is used in virtually all EV battery anodes, which are the negatively charged portions of a battery.
GALLIUM AND GERMANIUM
In July 2023, China said it would impose restrictions on exports of eight gallium and six germanium products from Aug. 1, as tensions escalated between Beijing and Washington over access to materials used in making high-tech microchips.
Germanium is also used in infrared technology, fibre optic cables and solar cells.
(Reporting by Tony Munroe; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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