China suspends its Strategic Minerals Export ban to the U.S. until 2026, easing trade tensions and stabilizing global tech supply chains.
TheInterviewTimes.com | New Delhi | November 9, 2025 — In a major breakthrough for global trade stability, China has suspended its Strategic Minerals Export ban to the United States until November 27, 2026. The decision marks a temporary easing in escalating trade tensions and offers a lifeline to global supply chains dependent on these critical resources.
Key Points
- China suspends Strategic Minerals Export ban to the U.S. until 2026 to reduce trade friction.
- The suspended materials—gallium, germanium, and antimony—are crucial for tech and defense industries.
- Move follows high-level talks between President Trump and President Xi Jinping in Busan.
- The trade truce includes tariff reductions and resumed agricultural imports.
- Experts see the export suspension as a cautious step toward restoring global supply stability.
China’s Strategic Minerals Export Ban Suspension: A Major Trade Development
Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce announced the Strategic Minerals Export suspension on Friday, reversing the year-old ban that had restricted the U.S. from accessing key materials vital to semiconductor, defense, and green technology sectors. The new policy takes immediate effect and will remain in place through November 2026 as part of a broader trade stabilization framework.
The materials at the center of this dispute—gallium, germanium, and antimony—are essential to producing semiconductors, fiber optics, infrared sensors, and advanced weapon systems. China holds nearly 70% of global mining output and over 90% of processing capacity, giving it a dominant position in the global supply chain.
The Trade Truce: Trump–Xi Dialogue in Busan
The export suspension follows a landmark meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025. Both leaders agreed to a one-year trade truce covering multiple sectors, including strategic minerals, agriculture, and energy.
Under the agreement, the United States will lower tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percentage points, while China resumes agricultural imports and lifts several Strategic Minerals Export restrictions. Analysts view the deal as a pragmatic move to mitigate global supply chain disruptions that have hurt both economies.
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Strategic Minerals and Their Global Importance
The Strategic Minerals Export suspension has immediate implications for the global technology and defense sectors. Gallium and germanium are crucial for semiconductor manufacturing and fiber optics, while antimony is used in flame retardants, munitions, and energy storage.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the previous export ban risked disrupting $3.4 billion worth of American economic activity, intensifying concerns about the nation’s dependence on foreign critical minerals. Lawmakers and defense analysts have long warned that such restrictions threaten U.S. national security by exposing vulnerabilities in key industrial supply chains.
Beyond Minerals: Broader Trade Cooperation
The broader trade deal includes provisions on rare earth elements, lithium materials, and precursor chemicals used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals and batteries. China has also agreed to issue “general export licenses” for the trade of gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite. These steps are expected to ease restrictions for U.S. manufacturers and global tech firms relying on stable mineral access.
However, experts note that export controls targeting U.S. military end-users remain in force, reflecting Beijing’s ongoing caution in defense-related exports.
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A Step Toward Stability
This Strategic Minerals Export ban suspension represents a critical de-escalation between the world’s two largest economies after a year of retaliatory trade actions. While the move does not fully resolve deeper geopolitical disagreements, it signals a willingness to cooperate on issues affecting global technology supply and economic resilience.
As both nations navigate the complex balance between national security and economic growth, the next year will test whether this temporary truce can lead to long-term stability in the Strategic Minerals Export landscape.