China suspends approval ban on exports of certain metals used in chip and electronics manufacturing to the U.S.

China’s commerce ministry announced on Sunday that it has suspended a prior restriction on approving exports of specified “dual-use” items to the United States, covering materials related to gallium, germanium, antimony and super-hard substances used in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. The ministry said the suspension is effective from Sunday and will remain in place until November 27, 2026, but offered no additional details regarding the decision or implementation procedures.

The ministry had first imposed the export approval ban in December 2024. In a related move, Chinese authorities also said on Friday that they would suspend other export controls introduced on October 9, which had broadened curbs on certain rare earth materials and on inputs for lithium-ion battery production.

The announcements follow a separate understanding reached between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump to lower tariffs and pause several trade measures for a one-year period. Chinese officials framed the recent steps as part of that broader trade accommodation.