In March, only a few countries such as Russia and Germany received shipments of these critical raw materials. For germanium, export volumes rose sharply compared to the previous month.
China’s exports of the critical raw material gallium remain highly concentrated. This is shown by the latest data from the country’s customs authorities.
At 5,000 kilograms, the lion’s share of the material was shipped to Germany in March. In the two previous months, Germany had been the only buyer of gallium. In March, South Korea received an additional 120 kilograms and Malaysia 200 kilograms.
Japan—China’s largest importer of gallium in 2025—continues to be cut off from supplies, likely due to tightened export controls targeting the country.
While there was little change in the list of recipient countries, the total export volume of 5,320 kilograms was roughly in line with January (5,000 kilograms) and February (6,000 kilograms). In December, however, the volume had been significantly higher at 10,809 kilograms.
Germanium Exports Rise Sharply
In contrast, germanium exports rose by more than 35 percent in March to just under 1,000 kilograms, compared with the previous month (736 kilograms). However, the volume remains well below the figure of nearly 1,500 kilograms recorded a year earlier.
As with gallium, supply flows are concentrated. Russia remained the main recipient in March, receiving 600 kilograms, the same as in February. The only other countries receiving notable amounts were Germany with 276 kilograms and Turkey with 117 kilograms.
Both gallium and germanium are essential for numerous civilian and military applications, including semiconductor production. China imposed strict export controls on these materials in the summer of 2023. Since then, trade flows have fluctuated significantly and in some cases depend on political relations with the respective recipient countries.
