July 4 (Reuters) – (This July 4 story has been refiled to specify data on gallium is for primary gallium only in paragraph 12 and add Canadian gallium producer in paragraph 8)
China said on Monday it will impose export restrictions from Aug. 1 on some gallium and germanium products, metals used in computer chips and other products, to protect national security interests.
Here are some facts about gallium and germanium:
WHERE IS GERMANIUM FOUND?
Germanium ores are rare and most germanium is a by-product of zinc production and from coal fly ash.
China produces around 60% of the world’s germanium, according to European industry association Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA), with the rest coming from Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States.
China exported 43.7 metric tons of unwrought and wrought germanium last year, according to Chinese customs.
Roughly $39 million worth of…
