The Chinese government introduced restrictions on the export of gallium and germanium (plus their chemical compounds)—both crucial materials in the computer chip manufacturing process—a couple of months ago. Big players within the semiconductor industry shrugged this off as a minor inconvenience, and simply shifted to more expensive sources. Prior to an August 1 implementation of new rulings, according to Reuters, China exported 36.48 metric tons of germanium, and 22.72 tons of gallium (starting January 2023). Customers were in a rush to acquire as much material as possible, before the "cut off" date—so 8.63 tons of germanium and 5.15 tons of gallium got shifted overseas throughout July.

Reuters has kept a watchful eye on the situation since then—its latest report states that "China's exports of germanium and gallium items plunged in August, the first month of the export controls, customs data showed on Wednesday (September 20)." A Ministry of Commerce spokesman, He Yadong, last week revealed that his department will be granting a limited number of export licenses to interested parties, on the condition that these local companies "meet relevant requirements." An undisclosed percentage of submitted applications have already received government approval. Signed paperwork reportedly gives the thumbs up to "dual use" purposes, implying that potential customers are in the military and civilian fields.