Where Are China’s Export Trends For Gallium and Germanium Heading?

Export restrictions on the export of gallium and germanium from China have been in place since August. How are these affecting export figures today, and what is the current market situation?

China, the largest producer of gallium and germanium, announced export restrictions on these technology metals in July. They came into force in August. Since then, Chinese traders have needed export licenses to export these two raw materials from China. As a result of the restrictions, exports initially came to a virtual standstill. However, there are signs of a gradual recovery in gallium and germanium exports from the People’s Republic. According to Chinese customs authorities, 721 kilograms of germanium and 1,530 kilograms of gallium were exported in November, as reported by the industry news service Rawmaterials.net, among others. This corresponds to an increase of 11 percent for germanium and as much as 512 percent for gallium compared to October 2023. Despite these increases, exports are still well below those of November 2022, when 5,488 kilograms of germanium and 5,611 kilograms of gallium were exported.

China justified the export restrictions by citing national security, as these raw materials are so-called dual-use goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. They are used in the manufacturing industry, for example. The applications for the two technology metals are diverse: gallium is used in LED lighting systems in the automotive industry, in electronic components in cell phones, and chips in computer technology. Germanium is used in communication technology — for example, as a component of fiber optic cables. It’s also used in night-vision devices, thermal imaging cameras, and numerous other areas.

The export controls influenced prices immediately after they came into force. We summarized what these looked like for private buyers of technology metals in a market assessment in October. As an industry specialist, we will keep you updated with price charts showing the export trends for gallium and germanium and the associated price developments.