Finding
China now licenses 15 of these 55 elements, and five more are on pause
Since August 2023 China has put export licensing on gallium, germanium, antimony, graphite, tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium and seven medium and heavy rare earths. A wider package in October 2025 added five more rare earths and reached foreign-made products; it was suspended in November 2025 for one year.
That suspension ends on November 10, 2026. The April 2025 rare earth controls were never suspended: dysprosium and terbium, the two that keep NdFeB magnets working at motor temperatures, still need a license from China's commerce ministry for every shipment. The April round cut China's magnet exports sharply within weeks and forced some automakers to slow or stop lines.
The list is not only rare earths. Gallium and germanium feed power and RF chips, antimony and indium feed semiconductors and solar, and graphite is in every lithium-ion anode.
China's export controls
Seven rounds since 2023
| Announced | Items | Measure | Status, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2023 | Gallium, germanium | Licensing required | In force |
| Dec 2023 | Graphite (anode grades) | Licensing required | In force |
| Sep 2024 | Antimony, superhard materials | Licensing required | In force |
| Dec 2024 | Gallium, germanium, antimony to the US | Outright ban | Suspended to Nov 27, 2026 |
| Feb 2025 | Tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum, indium | Licensing required | In force |
| Apr 2025 | Samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium | Licensing required | In force |
| Oct 2025 | Holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, ytterbium; foreign-made products with Chinese rare earths; lithium battery and anode items | Licensing, extraterritorial | Suspended to Nov 10, 2026 |
The list
55 elements by use
Each element is tagged by the sectors that use it: EV (batteries, motors, power electronics), solar, wind, hydrogen and semiconductors. Controlled elements come first. Top producers are the leading mining or primary-production countries (USGS).
| Element | China control | Main use | Sectors | Top producers | Control detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antimony (Sb) | licensed | Infrared detectors, n-type dopant, solar-glass fining agent, flame retardants, lead-acid grids | Solar, Semiconductor | China, Tajikistan, Russia | Licensing since September 2024; outright ban on exports to the US suspended until November 27, 2026 |
| Bismuth (Bi) | licensed | Lead-free solders, bismuth telluride thermoelectrics, pharmaceuticals | Semiconductor | China, Laos, South Korea | Licensing since February 2025 |
| Dysprosium (Dy) | licensed | Added to NdFeB traction-motor and wind-generator magnets so they hold coercivity at high temperature | EV, Wind | China, Myanmar | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended |
| Gadolinium (Gd) | licensed | MRI contrast agents, neutron absorbers, magnetocaloric research | China, Myanmar | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended | |
| Gallium (Ga) | licensed | Gallium nitride power and RF devices, GaAs chips, LEDs, CIGS solar | Solar, Semiconductor | China (about 98% of primary output) | Licensing since August 2023; outright ban on exports to the US (December 2024) suspended until November 27, 2026 |
| Germanium (Ge) | licensed | Infrared optics, fiber optics, space solar cells, SiGe chips | Solar, Semiconductor | China, Russia | Licensing since August 2023; outright ban on exports to the US (December 2024) suspended until November 27, 2026 |
| Graphite (C) | licensed | Anodes (natural and synthetic graphite); crucibles and susceptors for silicon and SiC crystal growth | EV, Semiconductor | China, Madagascar, Mozambique, Brazil | Licensing on spherical and high-purity graphite since December 2023; October 2025 additions on synthetic anode material suspended until November 10, 2026 |
| Indium (In) | licensed | Indium tin oxide display and solar electrodes, InP photonics, CIGS solar | Solar, Semiconductor | China, South Korea, Japan (refinery) | Licensing since February 2025 |
| Lutetium (Lu) | licensed | Scintillators for PET imaging, refinery catalysts | China | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended | |
| Samarium (Sm) | licensed | Samarium-cobalt magnets for high-temperature aerospace and defense motors | EV | China | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended |
| Scandium (Sc) | licensed | Scandia-stabilized zirconia for solid-oxide fuel cells, aluminum-scandium alloys, AlScN RF filters | Hydrogen | China, Philippines, Russia | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended |
| Tellurium (Te) | licensed | Cadmium telluride thin-film solar (First Solar), thermoelectrics | Solar, Semiconductor | China, Russia, Japan (refinery) | Licensing since February 2025 |
| Terbium (Tb) | licensed | High-temperature NdFeB magnets (grain-boundary diffusion), phosphors | EV, Wind | China, Myanmar | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended |
| Tungsten (W) | licensed | Cemented-carbide tools for machining and mining, chip-contact plugs | China, Vietnam, Russia | Licensing since February 2025 | |
| Yttrium (Y) | licensed | Yttria-stabilized zirconia for solid-oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers, thermal-barrier coatings, YAG lasers, phosphors | Hydrogen | China, Myanmar | Licensing since April 2025, covering oxides, metals, alloys and magnet materials; never suspended |
| Erbium (Er) | paused | Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers for optical networks, lasers | Semiconductor | China, Myanmar | Licensing announced October 2025; suspended until November 10, 2026 |
| Europium (Eu) | paused | Red and blue phosphors, nuclear control rods | China | Licensing announced October 2025; suspended until November 10, 2026 | |
| Holmium (Ho) | paused | Specialty magnets and lasers; minor additive in some NdFeB grades | EV | China, Myanmar | Licensing announced October 2025; suspended until November 10, 2026 |
| Thulium (Tm) | paused | Portable X-ray sources, fiber lasers | China | Licensing announced October 2025; suspended until November 10, 2026 | |
| Ytterbium (Yb) | paused | Fiber lasers, stainless steel additive, dopant in some solid-oxide cell electrolytes | Hydrogen | China, Myanmar | Licensing announced October 2025; suspended until November 10, 2026 |
Not controlled
Elements China does not license
China still dominates refining for many of these, including lithium chemicals, cobalt, manganese sulfate and silicon. "US list 2025" marks the 60-mineral list the US Interior Department published in November 2025, which added copper, silver, silicon and boron.
| Element | Category | Main use | Sectors | Top producers | US list 2025 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum (Al) | structural and conductor | Pack enclosures, gigacast body parts, cathode foil, cables and busbars; solar frames | EV, Solar, Semiconductor | Australia, Guinea, China (bauxite); China (metal) | yes | |
| Arsenic (As) | semiconductor | Gallium arsenide RF and photonic chips, n-type dopant | Solar, Semiconductor | China, Peru, Morocco | yes | |
| Beryllium (Be) | structural and conductor | Beryllium-copper connectors and springs, beryllium oxide substrates for power devices | EV, Semiconductor | US, China | yes | |
| Boron (B) | structural and conductor | NdFeB magnets (about 1% boron), p-type dopant, borosilicate glass | EV, Solar, Semiconductor | Turkey, US, Chile | yes | Added to the US critical minerals list in 2025 |
| Cadmium (Cd) | semiconductor | Cadmium telluride thin-film solar, nickel-cadmium batteries | Solar | China, South Korea, Japan | Not on the 2025 US critical minerals list | |
| Cerium (Ce) | rare earth (light) | Cerium-substituted NdFeB magnets, glass polishing, autocatalysts | EV | China, US, Australia, Myanmar | yes | |
| Cesium (Cs) | semiconductor | Perovskite solar research, atomic clocks, drilling fluids | Solar | Canada, Zimbabwe, Namibia (limited) | yes | |
| Chromium (Cr) | structural and conductor | Stainless and tool steels, chrome plating, chip-fab equipment | Semiconductor | South Africa, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India | yes | |
| Cobalt (Co) | battery metal | NMC and NCA cathodes, LCO consumer cells, superalloys, chip contacts | EV, Semiconductor | DRC, Indonesia, Russia, Australia | yes | DRC export quotas since October 2025 |
| Copper (Cu) | structural and conductor | Motor windings, cables, busbars, anode foil, chargers; grid and wind; chip interconnects | EV, Solar, Wind, Semiconductor | Chile, DRC, Peru, China | yes | Added to the US critical minerals list in 2025 |
| Hafnium (Hf) | semiconductor | High-k gate dielectrics in advanced chips, nuclear control rods, superalloys | Semiconductor | France, US (by-product of zirconium) | yes | |
| Iridium (Ir) | platinum group | Anode catalyst in PEM water electrolyzers; spark plugs, crucibles for crystal growth | Hydrogen | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Russia | yes | Iridium supply is the main scale limit for PEM electrolysis |
| Lanthanum (La) | rare earth (light) | Hydrogen-storage alloys, cracking catalysts, LLZO solid-electrolyte research, optical glass | Hydrogen | China, US, Australia, Myanmar | yes | |
| Lithium (Li) | battery metal | Every lithium-ion cathode (as carbonate or hydroxide) and the LiPF6 electrolyte salt | EV | Australia, Chile, China, Zimbabwe, Argentina | yes | Element not controlled; October 2025 controls on high-end cells, cathode material and battery equipment suspended until November 10, 2026 |
| Magnesium (Mg) | structural and conductor | Lightweight alloys and die castings, reducing agent for titanium and other metals | China | yes | ||
| Manganese (Mn) | battery metal | LMFP, NMC and LMR cathodes; steel | EV | South Africa, Gabon, Australia | yes | High-purity manganese sulfate is about 95% Chinese |
| Neodymium (Nd) | rare earth (light) | NdFeB permanent magnets in traction motors, wind generators, robot actuators and drones | EV, Wind | China, US, Australia, Myanmar | yes | Element not controlled; October 2025 extraterritorial rule on products containing Chinese rare earths suspended until November 10, 2026 |
| Nickel (Ni) | battery metal | High-nickel NMC and NCA cathodes; alkaline electrolyzer electrodes; stainless steel | EV, Hydrogen | Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Canada, New Caledonia | yes | |
| Niobium (Nb) | structural and conductor | High-strength low-alloy steel; niobium-oxide fast-charge anodes (Echion, Toshiba) | EV | Brazil, Canada | yes | |
| Palladium (Pd) | platinum group | Hydrogen-purification membranes, autocatalysts, electronics plating | Hydrogen | Russia, South Africa | yes | |
| Platinum (Pt) | platinum group | PEM fuel-cell and electrolyzer catalysts, autocatalysts | Hydrogen | South Africa, Russia, Zimbabwe | yes | |
| Praseodymium (Pr) | rare earth (light) | NdFeB magnets (sold with neodymium as NdPr oxide) | EV, Wind | China, US, Australia, Myanmar | yes | Element not controlled; October 2025 extraterritorial rule suspended until November 10, 2026 |
| Promethium (Pm) | rare earth (light) | No commercial mining; radioactive, made in nuclear reactors | None (synthetic) | |||
| Rhodium (Rh) | platinum group | Autocatalysts for combustion vehicles; little role in hydrogen equipment | South Africa, Russia | yes | ||
| Rubidium (Rb) | other | Atomic clocks, specialty glass, research electronics | China, Canada (by-product) | yes | ||
| Ruthenium (Ru) | platinum group | Ammonia-cracking catalysts, chip interconnect and hard-disk layers | Hydrogen, Semiconductor | South Africa, Russia | yes | |
| Selenium (Se) | semiconductor | CIGS thin-film solar, glass decoloring | Solar | China, Japan, Germany (refinery) | Not on the 2025 US critical minerals list | |
| Silicon (Si) | semiconductor | Silicon wafers and polysilicon for chips and solar, silicon carbide power devices, silicon-carbon anodes | EV, Solar, Semiconductor | China (about 80% of silicon metal) | yes | Added to the US critical minerals list in 2025 |
| Silver (Ag) | structural and conductor | Solar-cell contact paste, electrical contacts and fuses in EVs and chargers | EV, Solar | Mexico, China, Peru | yes | Added to the US critical minerals list in 2025; solar is now its largest industrial use |
| Tantalum (Ta) | semiconductor | Tantalum capacitors, sputtering targets for chip barriers | Semiconductor | DRC, Rwanda, Brazil | yes | |
| Tin (Sn) | semiconductor | Solder in every electronic assembly, tin oxide in photolithography and displays | Semiconductor | China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Peru | yes | |
| Titanium (Ti) | structural and conductor | Lithium titanate (LTO) anodes, titanium alloys, white pigment | EV | China, Mozambique, South Africa (mineral sands); China, Japan (sponge) | yes | |
| Vanadium (V) | battery metal | Vanadium redox flow batteries for grid storage, high-strength steel | China, Russia, South Africa | yes | ||
| Zinc (Zn) | structural and conductor | Galvanized steel, die castings, zinc batteries | EV, Solar, Semiconductor | China, Peru, Australia | yes | |
| Zirconium (Zr) | structural and conductor | Zirconia for solid-oxide cells and LLZO solid electrolytes, nuclear fuel cladding | Australia, South Africa, Mozambique | yes |
Sources
Sources and scope
- Dataset
- Critical minerals: element, symbol, use, EV, solar, wind, hydrogen, semiconductor, rare earth, IRA list
- Rows
- 55
- Export-control status
- MOFCOM announcements, August 2023 to November 2025; recheck after November 10, 2026