Increase in illicit activity after the implementation of export controls.
Chinese authorities are intensifying efforts to combat the smuggling of critical minerals. According to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce, since the introduction of export controls on strategic materials such as gallium, germanium, antimony, tungsten, and certain rare earth elements, foreign companies have increasingly cooperated with domestic criminal networks to circumvent the restrictions.
Officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Customs, the Supreme People’s Court, and other government bodies convened in Shenzhen last Friday to discuss countermeasures. Among the key concerns is the rerouting of restricted materials through third countries to bypass trade regulations. To address these challenges, the authorities emphasized the need to strengthen law enforcement capabilities and to develop intelligent monitoring systems to detect and prevent illegal activities more effectively.
Image: Montage via Canva rawmaterials.net