China announced Tuesday it is banning exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications.
Beijing earlier had required exporters to apply for licenses to send the strategically important materials such as gallium to the United States.
The 140 companies newly included in the U.S. so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. But some are Chinese-owned businesses in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
China’s Commerce Ministry protested and said it would act to protect China's “rights and interests.”
