[REVISION HISTORY]

China's expanding critical-material export controls

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-04 03:13 UTC → 2026-09-17 02:46 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Since July, Beijing’s tightened export-licence regime has deepened pressure on a range of strategic commodities. In June, China halted high-purity tungsten shipments to Japan, driving the price of tungsten hexafluoride (WF 6) – a key gas for 3- to 7-nm AI chip production – up more than 200% year-on-year and prompting Japanese firms Showa Denko Kanto and Central Glass to suspend output. The broader curtailment of tungsten exports pushed global tungsten prices to roughly three times their early-2026 level and raised production costs for automotive, aerospace and defence sectors, while threatening chipmakers in South Korea, Germany and elsewhere. Japan’s own critical-mineral exports to China fell sharply after a political dispute, with tungsten, dysprosium and terbium shipments dropping to near-zero and semiconductor-equipment sales to China slipping about 10%. Beijing responded with a new reporting system for illegal dual-use mineral exports and detained two Japanese nationals accused of smuggling rare-earth goods. The export-control wave spread further: the EU warned that China’s dominance in tungsten, carbide and other metals could cripple European manufacturers, prompting a €64 billion G7 diversification pledge. In July, China added refined silver to a strict licensing regime; the United States subsequently listed silver as a critical mineral, driving price forecasts toward $100 per ounce. A provisional helium export ban, triggered by the Qatar plant shutdown, remained in force, protecting domestic chip and medical-sector needs. By early August, the helium supply crisis intensified as Middle East production was hit by conflict following U.S. and Israeli operations against Iran, alongside Russian export controls and Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy assets. While Canada’s untapped reserves could help close the gap, a lack of supportive government policies hampers rapid development. ~~By September, the European Union intensified efforts to bolster strategic autonomy by targeting Arctic mineral potential to reduce dependence on China.~~

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