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
They also skipped how production of these metals occurs, for Gallium for example, it’s a byproduct of aluminum production. China became the main gallium (and later, LED) producer because they mandated (and sourced relevant equipment) for bauxite refining operations to harvest it, despite being non-economical to do so at the time, as part of a project that was consuming ~5% of their national budget in the late 80s.
America produces 1/36th of the aluminum China produces so even if Trump took the same step (I’m sure he could use the Defense Production Act or something), the numbers don’t add up.
Others require the blighting of huge swaths of land and a lot of future work to prevent contamination of ground water (see West Virginia).
I don’t believe America has the capacity to build local production with its current political system.
Thanks for the additional information.