China Responds To US Chip Sanctions With Export Ban On Gallium And Other Essential High-Tech Materials

On Tuesday, China announced that it is banning the export of high-tech materials considered essential, such as gallium, germanium, and antimony, to the United States. These materials are of critical importance to advanced technologies, including military applications. This comes after the U.S. added 140 Chinese companies to its export controls list, thereby restricting access to equipment, software, and high-bandwidth memory chips for manufacturing.

U.S. Entity List Expansion

The new measures by Washington include not only companies based in China but also Chinese-owned businesses located in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. This expansion to the so-called “entity list” has raised significant concerns in Beijing.

China’s Response

The Chinese Commerce Ministry released a statement condemning the actions of the U.S. and announced the export ban as a necessary step to safeguard China’s “rights and interests.” This move is considered part of a broader effort by Beijing to protect its strategic technological assets.

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