Exports of both technology metals showed clear differences in August, although germanium and gallium are being exported to fewer and fewer customer countries.
China's exports of the technology metal Germanium rose significantly in August, according to the latest data from the customs authorities. 1,166 kilograms were exported, an increase of more than 50 per cent in comparison to the previous month. Nevertheless, the previous year's figure of 1,358 kilograms was clearly missed. The most important destination countries for germanium in August were Russia and Germany, meaning that the number of recipients has decreased significantly compared to 2024: in summer 2024, there were still six countries.
Dr Christian Hell, Senior Manager Germanium and Minor Metals: "China only supplies germanium to a few countries and this selection is hardly changing. Russia has been one of these customers for months, while other countries such as the USA continue to be left out. The market is stable in this respect, but severely restricted."
No recovery in the export figures for gallium
The export of Gallium on the other hand, fell by more than 20 per cent in August compared to July. Of the 7,201 kilograms exported, the largest share was exported to Japan with 5,200 kilograms, followed by Canada with 2,001 kilograms. Here too, the number of destination countries is very small.
Both gallium and germanium are of great importance for various high-tech sectors such as semiconductor technology, glass fibre production and optical technologies such as infrared systems. China imposed export restrictions on both raw materials in summer 2023 due to their potential use in the military. Since December 2024 both metals and other critical raw materials are also subject to an export ban to the USA, which has made the global supply situation increasingly difficult.
Two years after the export restrictions came into force, the news portal Rohstoff.net a balance sheet drawn up.
