China bans exports of gallium and other key high-tech materials, hitting back at US chip sanctions

China announced it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications

BANGKOK– China announced Tuesday that it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications.

China’s Commerce Ministry announced the decision after Washington expanded the list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on equipment making computer chips, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications.

Beijing had previously required exporters to apply for permits to send the strategically important materials such as gallium to the United States.

The 140 companies recently included in the US’s so-called ‘entity list’ are almost all based in China. But some are Chinese-owned companies in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

China’s Ministry of Commerce protested, saying it would act to protect China’s “rights and interests.”