Chine Exportations

China is reportedly set to tighten silver export controls from January 1, widening restrictions on a commodity now seen as vital to U.S. manufacturing and defense supply chains. The Commerce Ministry first flagged the measures in October, coinciding with a Trump–Xi meeting in South Korea, when Beijing agreed to pause certain rare earth curbs as Washington rolled back tariffs. The ministry confirmed 44 companies will be licensed to export silver in 2026–27, two more than last year. The move, framed as a response to U.S. chip curbs and tariffs, also extends to tungsten and antimony, materials vital for defense and advanced technologies. While not a blanket ban, local media quoted an industry insider saying the policy “formally elevates the metal from an ordinary commodity to a strategic material,” placing silver under the same regulatory footing as rare earths.