China has announced a temporary lifting of a ban on exports to the United States of three critically important metals - gallium, germanium and antimony, Reuters and AFP reported. The decision takes effect immediately and will be in effect until November 27, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce said, News.bg reports.
The measure is seen as a clear signal of warming relations between Beijing and Washington after more than a year of escalation in technological rivalry and mutual restrictions on high-tech export goods.
The ban, introduced in 2024, limited US access to critical elements used in the production of semiconductors, lasers, communications devices and military technology. In addition, China is lifting stricter controls on end-users of dual-use graphite that were introduced at the end of 2024, Channel News Asia reported.
On Friday, Chinese authorities also announced the lifting of export controls on other materials, including rare earth elements and raw materials for lithium battery production.
The decision comes after new diplomatic contacts between the world's two largest economies and is seen as a gesture of de-escalation in the trade and technology race. According to experts quoted by Reuters, the temporary lifting of restrictions could stabilize global markets for rare metals, vital for renewable energy and microelectronics, but China could restore the ban if relations with the United States become strained again.