China Lifts Its Ban on Gallium, Germanium and Antimony Exports to the US — for Now

China has lifted — for a few weeks at least — its ban on selling three metals the world badly needs to the United States. Gallium, germanium and antimony can flow to American buyers again, after Beijing suspended part of the export controls it imposed in December 2024. The move is the latest sign that the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies is cooling down, but the pause is short: it runs only until 27 November 2026.

The announcement came from China’s Ministry of Commerce on Sunday, 9 November. It is part of a wider set of steps both sides have taken since Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met in South Korea on 30 October and agreed to walk back some of the harshest measures of their tit-for-tat trade fight.

What China announced

China’s commerce ministry said it would suspend one part of its 2024 export-control announcement — the second clause of Announcement No. 46 of 2024. The suspension took effect on Sunday and lasts until 27 November 2026.

Under that clause, exports to the United States of “dual-use items” related to gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials were not allowed in principle. The same clause also ordered stricter checks on who buys graphite from China and what it is used for. With the suspension, those exports can go ahead again, and the extra graphite checks are eased too.

The ministry kept one important limit in place. The first clause of the same 2024 announcement — which bans the export of dual-use items to US military users, or for military end-uses — remains in force. In plain words: American companies can buy these metals for ordinary, civilian products again, but not for weapons or military use.

What are gallium, germanium and antimony?

These are not rare earths, but they are just as important to modern life. They are small-volume metals that sit inside the technology we use every day, and China produces most of the world’s supply.

Gallium is used in integrated circuits (the chips inside phones and computers), in LEDs (the lights in screens and lamps) and in photovoltaic panels (solar panels). According to a report by the European Union published in 2024, China accounts for 94 percent of the world’s production of gallium.

Germanium is essential for fibre optics — the glass threads that carry the internet — and for infrared technology, which is used in night-vision devices and heat sensors. China makes up 83 percent of world production of germanium.

Antimony is used in battery technology, and by the arms industry to reinforce armour plating and ammunition.

Because China controls such a large share of supply, a Chinese export ban on these metals hits factories far beyond China. Chip makers, solar panel makers and electronics firms in the US and elsewhere have to scramble for the small amounts produced in other countries, or pay much higher prices.

What does “dual-use” mean?

A “dual-use” item is a product, material or piece of technology that can be used for ordinary civilian purposes and for military purposes. A powerful computer chip, for example, can run a video game or guide a missile. Gallium can go into a phone screen or into a radar system.

Governments control dual-use exports because they do not want sensitive materials reaching another country’s military. That is why China’s rules draw a line between civilian buyers, who can now buy again, and military users, who still cannot.

The Monday follow-up: more suspensions extended

The Sunday announcement was not the only step. On Monday, 9 November, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced two more extensions, both starting on Tuesday, 10 November, and both lasting two more months.

First, China extended the suspension of measures against 11 US companies placed on its “unreliable entity list” in April 2025. Chinese firms that want to do business with those companies can apply for approval.

Second, export restrictions on dual-use items involving 16 other US companies, introduced last year, will also remain suspended for another two months. Chinese exporters who want to supply dual-use items to those companies must get a licence from the ministry, and applications that meet the rules will be approved.

A ministry spokesperson said these extensions carry out the agreement reached during the eighth round of China-US economic and trade consultations, held in New York and Washington, DC, in September.

In a separate step, China’s Customs Tariff Commission said it would extend the suspension of an additional 24 percent tariff on US goods for two months, starting on Tuesday afternoon, while keeping a 10 percent additional tariff in place.

How we got here: a short history of the trade fight

The export ban on gallium, germanium and antimony was imposed in December 2024, during the long trade war between China and the United States. Over the months that followed, both sides piled tariffs — taxes on imported goods — on each other’s products. At one point, duties on both sides reached triple-digit levels, meaning a product could cost more than twice as much after tax. Trade between the world’s two largest economies slowed, and global supply chains were snarled.

China used its control of critical minerals as leverage throughout the fight. The metals underpin everything from smartphones to advanced military technology, and few other countries produce them in large amounts.

The turning point came on 30 October, when Xi and Trump met in South Korea and agreed to walk back some of the punitive measures. Since that meeting, Beijing has taken a series of de-escalation steps. Trump announced at the end of October that China had agreed to suspend for one year the restrictions it imposed on 9 October on the export of rare-earth technology — another strategic field dominated by China, essential for manufacturing in defence, cars and consumer electronics. China also said it would stop applying extra tariffs imposed since March on soybeans and other US farm products, which had hit American farmers hard.

Sunday’s suspension of the gallium, germanium and antimony ban is the latest step in that same direction.

What is still banned

It is important not to overstate the change. The pause is temporary and partial:

• The military ban stays. Dual-use items still cannot be exported to US military users or for military end-uses.
• The pause is short. The suspension of the gallium, germanium and antimony ban runs only until 27 November 2026 — less than three weeks.
• Licences are still needed in some cases. Exporters supplying dual-use items to the 16 US companies on the export-control list must still apply for licences.
• Tariffs are not gone. China is keeping a 10 percent additional tariff on US goods, and the suspension of the extra 24 percent tariff lasts only two months.

In other words, Beijing has opened a window, not a door. It can be closed again if talks stall.

What it means for businesses and shoppers

For American chip makers, solar panel producers and electronics firms, the news is good but limited. They can buy gallium, germanium and antimony from China again, which should ease shortages and take some pressure off prices. But with the window closing on 27 November, companies will have to move fast — or hope the suspension is extended.

For shoppers, the effect is indirect. These metals sit deep in supply chains, inside chips and panels, so a few weeks of resumed exports will not suddenly make phones or solar panels cheaper. But if the easing lasts, it reduces the risk of the shortages and price jumps that trade wars cause.

For the wider world, the move matters because it shows both sides still want to keep talking. The trade war pushed up costs for businesses everywhere, from Pakistan’s importers to European car makers. Each step back from the edge lowers that risk a little.

What happens next

Three dates matter now. The first is 27 November, when the suspension of the gallium, germanium and antimony ban expires unless China extends it. The second is the end of the two-month extensions for the 11 companies on the unreliable entity list and the 16 companies on the export-control list, which run into January. The third is the next round of trade talks — if the two sides keep meeting, more measures may be eased.

Watch also for Washington’s response. The US has its own export controls on advanced chips and chip-making equipment sold to China. If Beijing’s easing is matched by American steps, the de-escalation could gather pace. If not, the pause may simply expire.

For now, the message from Beijing is clear: trade with the US can continue, within limits, while the two sides keep talking.

FAQ

What did China actually lift?

China suspended its ban on exporting gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials to the United States, along with the stricter checks on graphite exports. The suspension runs from 9 November to 27 November 2026.

Why do these three metals matter so much?

Gallium goes into computer chips, LEDs and solar panels. Germanium is essential for fibre-optic cables and infrared devices. Antimony is used in batteries and in armour plating and ammunition. China produces 94 percent of the world’s gallium and 83 percent of its germanium, so a Chinese ban leaves few alternative suppliers.

Can American military buyers purchase these metals now?

No. The ban on exporting dual-use items to US military users, or for military end-uses, remains in force. Only civilian trade has been reopened.

How long will the easing last?

The metals suspension lasts until 27 November 2026. The separate suspensions affecting 11 US companies on the unreliable entity list and 16 US companies on the export-control list were extended for two more months from 10 November.

What caused the change?

The easing follows the meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump on 30 October in South Korea, where the two leaders agreed to walk back some of the trade war’s harshest measures. It also follows the eighth round of China-US trade talks in September.

Conclusion

China’s decision to suspend its ban on gallium, germanium and antimony exports to the United States is a small but meaningful step back from the trade war. It gives American manufacturers a few weeks of breathing room, and it shows that the talks between Beijing and Washington are producing real results, not just promises.

But the step is narrow and short-lived. The military ban stays, the window closes on 27 November, and tariffs are still in place. Whether this becomes the start of a lasting thaw or just a brief pause will depend on what both governments do next — and on whether they keep talking.

Sources

• Xinhua, “China suspends part of control measures on dual-use items export to U.S.”, 9 November 2026: https://english.news.cn/20251109/5edd761a05be48a0b369f12cdea0e78c/c.html
• Ahram Online, “China halts ban on export to US of some dual-use metals”, 9 November 2026: https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/556509.aspx
• China Daily, “China to extend suspension of measures against unreliable US entities”, 9 November 2026: http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202611/09/WS6af1954be4b03ebf8519b578.html
• China Daily, “China’s tariff move seen as stability boost”, 9 November 2026: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202611/09/WS6af1dfe2e4b03ebf8519b610.html

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.