China recently banned the export of the minerals gallium and germanium to the US amid growing tensions between the two countries on trade.

[jms_embedded]

China has banned US exports of key minerals for computer chips – leaving Washington with limited options

The US could open up domestic mining, or try to recover more of the minerals through recycling of electronic waste.

theconversation.com

 

[Paul2]

The amount of all these rare metals spent on sputtering targets is so low, that a years worth of production will last the entire global semi industry an eternity.

And... most of the time, those sputtering targets are not even fully used. They are thrown out half way into their useful resource, not recycled, even very expensive ones.

 

[Barnsley]

There is a side of TikTok very big on this!

 

[Daniel Nenni]

We heard similar dire warnings when Russia invaded the Ukraine. In the media the sky is always falling because that is what gets clicks. In reality the semiconductor industry is filled with the most intelligent problem solvers on earth. I would not lose sleep over this one.