China's latest export data confirm that critical raw materials continue to be shipped abroad only selectively and in sharply fluctuating volumes. Gallium in particular saw a dramatic collapse in June.
For companies outside China, securing a reliable supply of certain metals remains difficult to plan around. The June export figures make it clear that Beijing continues to closely control international material flows, a pattern that holds true for both technology metals such as gallium and germanium and heavy rare earths.
"The latest export figures for critical raw materials come as little surprise. They confirm a pattern that has been observable for months: export volumes of rare earths, for instance, fluctuate sharply and remain comparatively low overall. Meanwhile, key buyer countries such as the US and Japan are increasingly being cut off from Chinese material flows," explains Brian Hendrich, raw materials analyst at TRADIUM.
Gallium Exports Fall Sharply, Germanium Declines Further
Gallium exports plunged around 97 percent month-on-month in June, falling to just 200 kilograms after May's volume of 6,200 kilograms. Germany, which had ranked among the most important buyers in the early months of the year, received no material at all in June.
"The fact that gallium exports came to a near-standstill in June could also be linked to China's new regulations on the handling of hazardous substances, which have been in effect since May. Where the practical interpretation of new rules is still unclear, exporters often hold back shipments in the meantime," Brian Hendrich notes as a possible additional factor alongside the existing export restrictions.
Germanium exports also declined significantly. At 620 kilograms, export volume was around 45 percent below the May figure. Nearly the entire quantity went to Russia.
Development of gallium exports in recent months
Development of germanium exports in recent months
Heavy Rare Earths and Magnets Diverge in Export Trends
A similar picture emerges for heavy rare earths. Dysprosium exports fell to just under 2,100 kilograms in June. In May, China had still exported around 8,500 kilograms, meaning the volume dropped by roughly 75 percent within a single month. Malaysia received a good 1,100 kilograms, making it the largest buyer, while the remaining approximately 1,000 kilograms went to South Korea.
Terbium showed the opposite trend. After just 400 kilograms in May, exports rose to 3,100 kilograms in June, nearly an eightfold increase. The lion's share, 2,600 kilograms, went to South Korea, with a further 500 kilograms received by Estonia. As a result, exports of the two raw materials in oxide form were spread across three countries with downstream processing and industrial manufacturing capacity.
For downstream rare earth magnets, to which dysprosium and terbium can be added depending on the application, China's exports rose markedly overall. At nearly 5,650 tons, volumes were around 19 percent above the previous month's level. As in May, the leading recipients included Germany, South Korea, the US, Vietnam, and India.
Development of dysprosium exports in recent months
Development of terbium exports in recent months
Development of exports of rare earth magnets in recent months
