China has unveiled plans to restrict exports of graphite — a mineral crucial to the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) — on national security grounds, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs said Friday.

The announcement comes just days after the United States imposed additional limits on the kinds of semiconductors that American companies are able to sell to Chinese firms.

China, which dominates the world’s production and processing of graphite, says export permits will be needed, starting in December, for synthetic graphite material — including high-purity, high-strength and high-density versions — as well as for natural flake graphite.

  • TWeaK@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    In July, Beijing imposed export restrictions on gallium and germanium, two minerals essential for making semiconductors. One month later, its overseas shipments of the materials fell to zero.

    Err, no. They’re essential for making III/V semiconductors, which does include a wide range of things, but not your standard doped silicon semiconductor devices which comprise the vast majority. Pretty much every processor is silicon based, it’s things like lasers, novel devices and more recently GaN chargers that use III/V technology.