China bans export of gallium and germanium to U.S. as trade friction escalates

[Anchor]

China responded immediately.

It has strengthened controls to prevent the export of key minerals, including gallium, a key material for semiconductors, to the United States.

This report comes from KBS correspondent Kim Min-jung in Beijing.

[Report]

China's export controls against the U.S. involve "dual-use" minerals such as gallium and germanium, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

The export of gallium, a key raw material for semiconductors, and germanium, a core material for fiber optic communication and solar cells for satellites, is completely banned to the U.S.

Graphite, used in electric vehicle battery manufacturing, will undergo strict pre-export screening regarding its intended use.

China accounts for 98% of the world's gallium production and 68% of germanium production.

This action by China is seen as a countermeasure to the U.S. export controls on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) announced earlier.

[Lin Jian/Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "We will take necessary measures to safeguard China's security and development interests."]

Last year, China also strengthened export controls on dual-use items, but at that time, it stated that it was not targeting specific countries.

However, this time, it has made it clear that the measures are aimed at the U.S., claiming that the U.S. has politicized and weaponized scientific and technological issues.

According to an analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey, if gallium and germanium are fully controlled simultaneously, the economic damage to the U.S. could amount to approximately 48 trillion won.

As China retaliates with resource weaponization, both the U.S. and China have entered into a full-scale power struggle once again.

The competition to seize dominance in the global advanced technology industry is intensifying.

This is Kim Min-jung from KBS News in Beijing.