[CNN] China’s exports of two rare minerals essential for manufacturing semiconductors fell to zero in August, a month after Beijing imposed curbs on sales overseas, citing national security.
| The usual problem of monopolies. |
China produces about 80% of the world’s gallium and about 60% of germanium,
| ...mostly because the rest of the world was happy to let China do the dirty work with cheap labour, rather than because the stuff can’t be found elsewhere... |
according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, but it didn’t sell any of the elements on international markets last month, Chinese customs data released on Wednesday showed. In July, the country exported 5.15 metric tons of forged gallium products and 8.1 metric tons of forged germanium products.
When asked about the lack of exports last month, He Yadong, a spokesperson from China’s commerce ministry told a press briefing Thursday that the department had received applications from companies to export the two materials. Some applications had been approved, he said, without elaborating.
Value added (since they can make chips themselves now)? |