Six metals underpinning semiconductors, defence alloys and autocatalysts where China or Russia controls supply, making export restrictions a primary geopolitical weapon.
Minor semiconductor metalloid recovered from zinc smelting, essential to fiber optics and infrared military optics; China controls roughly 60% of global refined output and imposed export controls in 2023.
full dossier ›A byproduct metal China produces at 98% of global supply, gallium is essential for military radar and 5G power chips, making it a lever in US-China export control disputes.
China's domestic gallium price is $246/kg; the Western spot price is nine times higher. Germanium's equivalent gap is 130%. A US-China trade truce suspended the US-specific ban until November 2026 but left the licensing regime intact