Event 8 · Export controls
China licenses exports of gallium, germanium and graphite
China made exports of gallium and germanium subject to licences from 1 August 2023, and exports of some graphite from 1 December 2023. On 3 December 2024 it barred exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the US in principle, and on 9 November 2025 it suspended that ban until 27 November 2026.
- 1 Aug 2023 – ongoingdates
- 2economies named
- 3products watched
- 12sources
Before and after
Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought), Jul 2024 against Jul 2023, lens L (12-month sum). Economies are coloured by the change in their trade; the economies the event names have a dashed ring.
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What to watch China's exports of gallium and germanium metal before and after August 2023, and of graphite after December 2023, by destination; whether importers turn to other suppliers.
Measured, not asserted
Changes on a year earlier and in partner shares between Jul 2023 and Jul 2024. They say what moved in the window, not why it moved.
World trade in gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought): change on a year earlier
World trade in gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought), lens L (12-month sum): +26.1% in Jul 2023 (the base), +10.2% in Jul 2024. Lowest since the base: −9.2% in Feb 2024.
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
The named economies’ gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) trade, Jul 2024 against a year earlier
Largest fall: United States exports +29.7%; largest rise: China imports +123%.
| Share of | Filed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) | China | imports | +123% | yes |
| Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) | China | exports | +40.1% | yes |
| Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) | United States | imports | +31.3% | yes |
| Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) | United States | exports | +29.7% | yes |
| Natural graphite | China | imports | −63.5% | yes |
| Natural graphite | China | exports | −33.1% | yes |
| Natural graphite | United States | imports | −35.1% | yes |
| Natural graphite | United States | exports | +1.3% | yes |
| Anode graphite (artificial) | China | imports | −17.2% | yes |
| Anode graphite (artificial) | China | exports | −25.2% | yes |
| Anode graphite (artificial) | United States | imports | −15.8% | yes |
| Anode graphite (artificial) | United States | exports | −14.9% | yes |
Diversion: partner shares, Jul 2023 to Jul 2024
Largest move: Singapore → China, +45.2 pp (18.3% → 63.5%).
| Share of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore → China | imports | 18.3% | 63.5% | +45.2 pp |
| Brazil → China | imports | 48.5% | 17.8% | −30.7 pp |
| Korea → China | imports | 6.7% | 10.7% | +4 pp |
| Estonia → China | imports | 8.3% | 4.5% | −3.8 pp |
| Hong Kong → China | imports | 0% | 0% | 0 pp |
| China → Korea | exports | 32.2% | 27.5% | −4.7 pp |
| China → Hong Kong | exports | 23.5% | 31.3% | +7.8 pp |
| China → United States | exports | 14.8% | 13.6% | −1.2 pp |
| China → Germany | exports | 9.3% | 8.7% | −0.6 pp |
| China → Japan | exports | 8.2% | 4% | −4.2 pp |
| Brazil → United States | imports | 41.7% | 35.6% | −6.2 pp |
| China → United States | imports | 16.3% | 15.9% | −0.4 pp |
| Chile → United States | imports | 8.8% | 10.9% | +2 pp |
| Japan → United States | imports | 5.6% | 8.1% | +2.4 pp |
| Germany → United States | imports | 6% | 5.8% | −0.2 pp |
| United States → Japan | exports | 16.4% | 23.1% | +6.8 pp |
| United States → Taiwan | exports | 26.3% | 6.5% | −19.8 pp |
| United States → Germany | exports | 11.4% | 22% | +10.7 pp |
| United States → Belgium | exports | 8.6% | 11.2% | +2.6 pp |
| United States → Canada | exports | 10.4% | 8.5% | −1.9 pp |
Who gained and lost share of world gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) exports
Shares of world gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) exports, Jul 2023 to Jul 2024: gained most: Singapore +15.5 pp; lost most: Brazil −8.4 pp.
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
Who gained and lost share of world natural graphite exports
Shares of world natural graphite exports, Jul 2023 to Jul 2024: gained most: Germany +1.8 pp; lost most: Mozambique −5 pp.
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
Who gained and lost share of world anode graphite (artificial) exports
Shares of world anode graphite (artificial) exports, Jul 2023 to Jul 2024: gained most: Germany +2.3 pp; lost most: China −3 pp.
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
Reading the numbers
Documented context for the figures above that run against the event’s headline. The measurements stand as they are; each item cites its sources.
Aug 2022–Jul 2023 ends with the July 2023 rush (8.78 tons of germanium and 7.58 of gallium shipped; none in August). Aug 2023–Jul 2024 holds the two empty months, October's trickle (0.65 and 0.25 tons), the recovery as licences were granted and eight months of the graphite licence; the US ban of 3 December 2024 lies outside both.
- Product definition
China · exports of Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) +40.1% ($203m → $284m), Aug 2022–Jul 2023 → Aug 2023–Jul 2024. HS 8112.92, the code behind this page, holds unwrought gallium and germanium alongside indium and niobium, which no licence covers; the announcement's gallium compounds, germanium dioxide and tetrachloride fall under other headings. China shipped 347 tons of indium in January–September 2024, 74% to Korea, against 94 tons of gallium and 44 tons of germanium in all of 2022. [1] [7] [8] [9]
- Prices and exchange rates
World trade in Gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) +49.8% ($648m → $971m, 12-month sums). Values here are dollars, and all three metals got dearer: USGS puts primary gallium in China at $380 a kilogram in June 2024, 58% above June 2023; germanium metal in Europe at $1,550 → $2,950 over January–September 2024; US indium at $340 in 2024, 42% above 2023. By weight, China's germanium metal exports in January–August 2024 were 55% below a year earlier. [5] [6] [7]
- Scope of the measure
China → United States: $30.1m → $38.6m (+28.2%); 16.3% → 15.9% of US imports. The 2023 measure requires a licence; the ban on exports to the United States came on 3 December 2024, after this window. USGS puts China at 19% of US gallium metal imports and 51% of germanium metal imports in 2020–23, and at 25% of US indium imports as of September 2024, against an 8% average over the previous four years. [1] [3] [5] [6] [7]
- Front-loading
China's share of world Natural graphite exports 55.8% → 51.2%, world −27.1% (Jul 2023 → Jul 2024, 12-month sums). Licences from 1 December 2023 cover natural flake graphite and its products, spherical included, and high-purity artificial graphite. Flake exports fell from 23,502 tonnes in November 2023 to 1,427 in December, a drop Fastmarkets' sources put down to a November rush to buy and long licence reviews; USGS has China's flake exports 78% below a year earlier in January–February 2024 and 4% below in March–October. [2] [11] [12]
Partner shares, economy by economy
Each named economy’s five largest partners over the window, in fixed colours, with the rest as Other. The table gives the change in percentage points between Jul 2023 and Jul 2024.
China: gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) imports by supplier
Singapore: 18.3% in Jul 2023, 63.5% in Jul 2024 (+45.2 pp).
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
China: gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) exports by destination
Korea: 32.2% in Jul 2023, 27.5% in Jul 2024 (−4.7 pp).
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
Exports as the partners report them: China has not filed these months.
United States: gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) imports by supplier
Brazil: 41.7% in Jul 2023, 35.6% in Jul 2024 (−6.2 pp).
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
United States: gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) exports by destination
Japan: 16.4% in Jul 2023, 23.1% in Jul 2024 (+6.8 pp).
Source: UN Comtrade monthly data, all reporters that filed; mirror rule; lens L (12-month sum).
Timeline
- China announces licensing of gallium and germanium exports [1]
- Gallium and germanium licensing takes effect [1]
- China announces licensing of some graphite exports [2]
- Graphite licensing takes effect [2]
- China bars gallium, germanium and antimony exports to the US [3]
- Ban on exports to the US suspended until 27 Nov 2026 [4]
What else changed
World exports of gallium, germanium, indium (unwrought) changed +49.8% between Jul 2023 and Jul 2024.
Other events in the same window:
- WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic · 11 Mar 2020 – 5 May 2023
- US curbs exports of advanced chips and chip tools to China · 7 Oct 2022 – ongoing
- Houthi attacks in the Red Sea send ships around the Cape · 19 Nov 2023 – ongoing
Values are in US dollars: prices and exchange rates move them as well as volumes, and this page does not separate them. None of the numbers here says why trade moved.
Documented context for the figures that run against the headline is in “Reading the numbers”, with sources.
Coverage
Who has filed
104 economies had filed Jul 2024, 100% of 2024 world exports. Not yet filed for the latest months on the charts (to Jan 2025): China (imports, exports). In the current store China’s monthly files end in Dec 2024; after that its trade is seen only through its partners’ reports. Korea’s months from Jan 2026 come from the Korea Customs Service.
Sources
- MOFCOM and GAC Announcement No. 23 of 2023 on export controls on gallium- and germanium-related items (text reproduced by Hong Kong's Trade and Industry Department) · Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs of China · 3 Jul 2023
- MOFCOM and GAC announcement on optimising the temporary export controls on graphite items (text reproduced by Hong Kong's Trade and Industry Department) · Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs of China · 20 Oct 2023
- MOFCOM Announcement No. 46 of 2024 on strengthening export controls on related dual-use items to the United States · Ministry of Commerce of China · 3 Dec 2024
- MOFCOM Announcement No. 72 of 2025 on adjusting the implementation of Announcement No. 46 of 2024 · Ministry of Commerce of China · 9 Nov 2025
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Gallium · U.S. Geological Survey · 31 Jan 2025
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Germanium · U.S. Geological Survey · 31 Jan 2025
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Indium · U.S. Geological Survey · 31 Jan 2025
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Niobium (Columbium) · U.S. Geological Survey · 31 Jan 2025
- China allows a trickle of critical minerals exports ahead of graphite curbs · Bloomberg (via AJOT) · 22 Nov 2023
- China exports zero germanium, gallium in August amid national security curbs · Reuters (via CNBC) · 20 Sep 2023
- China's graphite exports plunge in December after introduction of export controls · Fastmarkets · 24 Jan 2024
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Graphite (Natural) · U.S. Geological Survey · 31 Jan 2025
Related case studies and chains
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