China halts exports of critical chip materials to the US, escalating tech war amid fresh curbs by Biden administration.
In a retaliatory move, China has announced an outright ban on the export of key materials essential for chip-making to the US, citing concerns over their potential military applications. The Ministry of Commerce revealed on Tuesday that gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials will no longer be exported to the US. Stricter end-use reviews will also be applied to dual-use products related to graphite.
This decision follows the Biden administration’s recent restrictions on high-bandwidth memory chip sales to China, intensifying the ongoing technology and trade standoff between the two economic giants.
China accused the US of politicising and weaponising economic and technological issues. The move builds on Beijing’s earlier oversight measures introduced last year, which required licensing for gallium shipments rather than a full ban.
The escalating conflict highlights growing tensions as the two nations vie for dominance in critical technological domains, with global supply chains hanging in the balance.
