Germanium and Gallium: the Minerals Beneath the Solar Cell
How exposed is the space industry to China's controls on gallium and germanium, and what happens when the US suspension ends?
Chapter summary
very exposed in the materials, less in the cost.
Key takeaways
- 1
China produces 99% of the world's primary gallium and is the leading producer of germanium.
- 2
It required export licences for both from August 2023, banned exports to the United States in December 2024, and suspended that ban on 9 November 2025 until 27 November 2026, while keeping licensing and a ban on military end users.
- 3
Germanium's average price roughly doubled from $1,991/kg in 2024 to $4,100/kg in 2025, and gallium outside China reached record levels in 2026, several times the price inside China.
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