China has launched a special nationwide campaign to clamp down on the smuggling of strategic minerals, the Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday, as part of a broader effort to enforce export controls and protect critical supply chains.
The move follows growing concerns that foreign entities are collaborating with domestic actors to circumvent restrictions on the export of key minerals, including gallium, germanium, antimony, tungsten, and various rare earth elements.
These materials are essential to industries ranging from semiconductors and electric vehicles to military technology and renewable energy systems.
According to the ministry’s statement, these strategic resources have been the focus of intensifying smuggling activity since China introduced export controls in mid-2023, with offenders using increasingly sophisticated methods to bypass regulation. Tactics include false customs declarations, concealed shipments, and rerouting exports through third countries in an effort to escape detection.
“The illegal outflow of strategic minerals undermines national security and distorts global supply chains,” the ministry emphasized. It added that the new campaign will involve coordinated efforts between customs authorities, border patrol units, trade regulators, and other government agencies to dismantle smuggling networks and preserve China’s control over its critical resources.
The campaign also serves as a warning to international buyers and intermediaries that China is tightening its grip on mineral exports amid escalating global competition for access to rare earths and tech-critical elements.
As global demand for clean energy and high-tech manufacturing rises, China — the world’s dominant producer of many strategic minerals — has been reinforcing its leverage in the sector through regulatory action. The current crackdown is expected to further intensify trade tensions, especially with nations dependent on Chinese supply for their industrial and defense needs.
Analysts say this marks a significant step in China’s long-term strategy to secure its resource base, enhance industrial sovereignty, and push back against perceived economic containment efforts from abroad.
