China suspends export restrictions on key minerals like gallium and antimony to the US until 2026, following TrumpXi trade truce in Busan. Discover the deal’s impact on global supply chains and tech.
Beijing has moved to ease trade friction with Washington by temporarily suspending export restrictions on critical minerals to the United States. On November 9, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced the pause on key parts of its 2024 curbs, covering gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials. This follows a highlevel trade agreement between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, late October. The oneyear suspension signals a thaw in USChina relations, stabilizing supply chains for semiconductors, EVs, and defense tech amid ongoing tensions.
Background: The TrumpXi Trade Truce in Busan
Presidents Trump and Xi met on October 30, 2025, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, their first inperson talks since 2019.
The “amazing” summit, as Trump called it, yielded a fragile oneyear truce.
Key goals: avert escalating tariffs, resume agricultural trade, and pause mineral export controls that threatened global tech and auto industries.
What China Is Suspending in Export Curbs to US
China’s Announcement No. 46 (2024), issued December 3, 2024, had banned or tightly restricted exports of dualuse items to the US.
The November 9 suspension pauses Clause 2 until November 27, 2026:
Gallium (99% of global refined output from China) – vital for chips, LEDs, radars.
Germanium (60% refined) – used in fiber optics, infrared tech, solar cells.
Antimony (nearly 50% mined) – key for batteries, flame retardants, ammunition.
Superhard materials (e.g., synthetic diamonds, boron nitrides).
Exporters still need licenses and enduser checks, but the outright ban lifts.
Clause 1 remains: no exports for US military purposes.
Broader Deal: What China and US Each Gain
The truce addresses multiple fronts:
China’s Concessions:
Suspend rare earth and mineral curbs (including October 2025 announcements).
Resume Nexperia chip facility operations in China for global legacy semiconductor supply.
Reinstate US soybean exporters and lift log import bans.
Commit to massive soybean buys: 12 million metric tons by end2025, 25 million annually 2026–2028.
Halt probes into US chip firms and remove retaliatory tariffs on US agriculture.
US Concessions:
- Cut fentanylrelated tariffs on Chinese goods by 10% (to 10%) from November 10.
- Extend Section 301 tariff exclusions to November 2026.
- Pause shipbuilding/maritime probes and port fees.
Why These Minerals Matter Globally
- China dominates production, making curbs a powerful lever.
- Past bans caused $3.4 billion US economic hit, half in semiconductors.
- Applications: AI chips, EV batteries, 5G, military gear.
Suspension eases shortages, boosts stocks in tech and mining outside China.
Expert Views and Market Reaction
Analysts call it a “tactical truce,” not a reset—root issues like tech rivalry persist.
Rare earth miners dipped on reduced disruption fears.
“This buys time for supply chains,” said one Beijingbased expert, but reversibility keeps leverage.
China’s decision to lift export curbs to US marks a pragmatic step toward stabilizing bilateral trade after years of escalation. The TrumpXi deal averts immediate crises in tech and agriculture, fostering shortterm confidence. Yet, with military bans intact and tensions simmering, this pause feels more like a breather than a breakthrough. Global industries watch closely—supply chains heal, but diversification efforts will continue. As Trump eyes a China visit in April 2026, the real test lies ahead.