Factbox-Some facts about strategic materials germanium and gallium

investing.com:

(Reuters) — China has announced export restrictions on some gallium and germanium products, metals used in computer chips and other products, citing national security interests.

Here are some facts about gallium and germanium:

WHERE IS GERMANIUM FOUND?

Germanium ores are rare and most germanium is a by-product of zinc production and from coal fly ash.

China produces around 60% of the world's germanium, according to European industry association Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA), with the rest coming from Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States.

China exported 43.7 metric tons of unwrought and wrought germanium last year, according to Chinese customs.

Roughly $39 million worth of germanium was consumed last year, up 10% from 2021, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

WHAT ABOUT GALLIUM?

Gallium is found in trace amounts in zinc ores and in bauxite, and gallium metal is produced when processing bauxite to make aluminium. Around 80% is produced in China, according to the CRMA.

Gallium is used to make gallium arsenide for use in electronics. Only a few companies — one in Europe and the rest in Japan and China — can make it at the required purity, says the CRMA.

China exported 94 metric tons of gallium in 2022, up 25% on the prior year, according to Chinese customs.

U.S. imports of gallium metal and gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers in 2022 were worth about $3 million and $200 million, respectively, according to USGS.

According to USGS, high-purity refined gallium production last year was estimated at about 290,000 kgs, a 16% increase from 250,000 kgs in 2021.

WHO ELSE PRODUCES THESE METALS?

Small amounts of gallium — around 10 metric tons in 2021 — are produced by Japan, Russia and South Korea, according