China Launches Nationwide Crackdown on Strategic Mineral Smuggling

China has launched a comprehensive campaign to crack down on the smuggling and illegal export of strategic minerals, including gallium, germanium, antimony, tungsten, and rare earth elements, which are critical to global supply chains in sectors like semiconductors, defense, and green energy. The Ministry of Commerce, along with the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of State Security, and General Administration of Customs, is coordinating efforts to strengthen source control, enhance inter-agency cooperation, and target evasion methods such as false reporting, concealment, and transshipment through third countries. This move aims to safeguard national security, protect economic interests, and ensure stable supply chains amidst concerns that foreign entities are colluding with domestic actors to bypass recent export controls. China plans to accelerate investigations, publicize major violations, dismantle smuggling networks, and develop intelligent enforcement systems to deter illegal activities. The crackdown follows new export control measures implemented to fulfill national security and non-proliferation obligations, including restrictions on dual-use items and exports to the U.S. military. Authorities emphasize that this stringent enforcement is crucial to maintaining China's strategic resource security and global trade compliance.