While significant, these measures fall short of the mineral export bans that China imposed on the US in December, which included gallium, germanium, antimony, and so-called superhard materials.
Some of the newly imposed controls are expected to have minimal impact on US industries. For instance, the United States is a major producer of molybdenum, a metal used to strengthen steel and reduce corrosion, and relies on negligible imports of it from China, according to the latest data from the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Additionally, US tariffs on indium and tungsten — set at 25% since last year — have already driven American importers to diversify their supply chains. Over the past four years, less than 10% of US indium imports have come from China, with South Korea, Japan, and Canada emerging as key suppliers, according to the USGS.
Still, vulnerabilities remain. The US ceased mining tungsten, a mineral…
