On September 13, 2023, gallium crystals are seen in a laboratory at the Freiberg University of Mining in Saxony, Germany.
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China has lifted a number of restrictions on exports of critical minerals and rare earth materials to the United States, in a sign that the trade ceasefire between the world’s two largest economies remains in place.
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday that it would suspend for one year some export controls on critical minerals used in military equipment, semiconductors and other high-tech industries.
The suspended restrictions, first imposed on October 9, include export restrictions on certain rare earth elements, lithium battery materials and processing technology.
The export relief follows a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30 in Busan, South Korea.
The Chinese government also lifted retaliatory restrictions on exports of gallium, germanium, antimony, and so-called superhard materials such as synthetic diamond and boron nitride. The measures, introduced in December 2024, were widely seen as retaliation for the U.S. government’s increased restrictions on semiconductor exports to China.
China classifies these materials as “dual-use goods,” meaning they can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
Beyond military applications, these critical minerals are used across the semiconductor industry and other high-tech sectors, areas at the heart of the U.S.-China trade tensions.
The Chinese government also suspended stricter end-user and end-use verification inspections for military graphite exports to the United States, which were imposed in December 2024 alongside a broader export ban.
China dominates global production of the most important minerals and rare earth elements and is increasingly using its export policies as leverage in trade disputes.
As part of the latest China-US trade agreement, the United States agreed to several concessions, including a 10 percentage point reduction in tariffs on Chinese imports and a suspension of President Trump’s “reciprocal tariff” increases on Chinese imports until November 10, 2026.
The United States will also postpone rules announced on September 29 to blacklist majority-owned subsidiaries of Chinese companies on the Entity List.
