Signal China's gallium and germanium export controls and Indonesia's nickel ore export ban

Summary

KISTEP cites concrete moves by resource-holding countries to restrict critical mineral flows. China has imposed export controls on key critical minerals such as gallium and germanium since 2023. Indonesia has banned exports of nickel ore since 2020. The report presents these measures as examples of resource holders designating critical minerals as strategic assets. They illustrate how supply risk for import-dependent manufacturing economies has become a policy reality rather than a hypothetical.