China has suspended an export ban on gallium, germanium, and antimony — three rare metals essential for high-tech and defense industries — in a move signaling tentative easing in trade tensions with the United States. The Ministry of Commerce announced on Sunday that the restrictions, originally imposed in December 2024, would be lifted until November 27, 2026, following recent high-level talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The suspension affects exports of so-called “dual-use” materials — goods that have both civilian and military applications — and comes as part of a broader thaw in relations after years of escalating tariffs, export controls, and technological rivalry.
“This suspension aims to create a stable environment for bilateral trade and industrial cooperation,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement, emphasizing that Beijing reserves the right to reinstate restrictions if “national security or industrial interests” are threatened.
The export ban, introduced in December 2024, was widely viewed as Beijing’s retaliatory measure against Washington’s sweeping restrictions on China’s access to advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment. Gallium and germanium, both critical to semiconductor fabrication and 5G components, are materials where China controls over 90% of global supply. Antimony, used in energy storage, electronics, and military alloys, is also heavily sourced from Chinese mines.
The move had sent shockwaves through Western tech and defense industries, which scrambled to secure alternative suppliers. Prices for gallium and germanium spiked by more than 300% in early 2025, prompting governments in the United States, Japan, and the European Union to accelerate their efforts to diversify supply chains.
Sunday’s suspension reflects what analysts describe as a “temporary détente” — a pragmatic pause in the broader U.S.–China technology confrontation that has defined global trade politics for much of the past decade.
The decision follows a rare face-to-face meeting between Xi and Trump on October 30 in Seoul, where both leaders agreed to roll back select punitive measures introduced during their tariff escalation. The meeting, brokered by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, marked the first in-person dialogue between the two leaders since Trump’s return to office in January 2025.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, the two sides discussed easing export controls, re-establishing communication channels between trade ministries, and coordinating on critical mineral supply chains to ensure stability in global markets.
“Both countries have an interest in preventing the weaponization of strategic materials,” said Dr. Mei Lin, a Beijing-based trade economist. “China’s suspension signals its willingness to use economic diplomacy to rebuild limited trust, even while competition in high-tech sectors continues.”
The announcement immediately impacted global commodity markets. Futures for gallium and germanium dropped nearly 15% on the Shanghai Metals Exchange on Monday morning, while shares of semiconductor manufacturers in Asia and the U.S. rose amid optimism that supply bottlenecks could ease.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo welcomed the decision, calling it “a constructive step toward restoring predictability in global supply chains.” However, she emphasized that Washington would continue to “monitor the situation closely” and press ahead with efforts to reduce dependency on Chinese minerals.
While the suspension has been framed as a goodwill gesture, analysts caution that it does not mark an end to the broader geopolitical rivalry driving U.S.–China trade tensions. The Biden administration’s earlier semiconductor export bans have remained largely intact, and Washington continues to invest heavily in domestic chip production through the CHIPS and Science Act.
China, meanwhile, has accelerated its own self-sufficiency programs, expanding investments in homegrown semiconductor technologies and exploring resource partnerships in Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America to reduce vulnerability to Western sanctions.
“The suspension is tactical, not transformative,” said David R. Fickling, a columnist specializing in resource economics. “It’s designed to buy time, stabilize markets, and project goodwill before the 2026 APEC summit, where both sides may revisit the issue.”
The two-year window — from now until November 2026 — offers both nations an opportunity to rebuild economic cooperation amid mounting global uncertainty. Yet, the underlying mistrust remains. Analysts note that any escalation over Taiwan, the South China Sea, or advanced AI technologies could quickly reverse this fragile progress.
