Chinese exports of two critical minerals plunge

BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters): China's exports of two critical minerals used in weapons, telecommunications and solar cells have plunged over the past three months amid a crackdown on smuggling and transshipment that has involved China's top spy agency.
Exports of antimony and germanium in June were down 88 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively, versus January, according to customs data published on Sunday. Much as with rare earths, China is by far the largest miner and or refiner for both elements. Both were added to an export control list in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Exports to the US were then banned in December as part of retaliation for chip restrictions.
Rare earths were added to the same control list in April, precipitating a sharp collapse in export volumes that forced some carmakers in Europe and the US to pause some production lines.
But where rare earth export volumes rebounded sharply last month thanks to a deal struck between Washington and Beijing, exports of germanium and antimony fell to some of the lowest levels on record.
The collapse in export volumes coincides with well-publicised crackdown on critical mineral export control evasion.