China’s new rare-earth curbs target chipmaking industry in retaliation to US restrictions — rare earth curbs reach back to older 14nm process tech and 256-layer memory

rare earth minerals in front of the China flag
(Image credit: Getty / Cheng Xin)

China has quietly extended its rare-earth export controls into the heart of the semiconductor supply chain. Based on machine translation of a new notice published October 9, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said that exports of Chinese-origin rare earths or products made with them will now require government licenses if they’re linked to the development or manufacture of advanced chips — defined as logic at 14 nanometers or below, or memory with 256 layers or more.

The new measure builds on rules introduced in April, which imposed licensing requirements on seven rare-earth families, including samarium, terbium, dysprosium, and lutetium, as well as their magnet and sputtering-target forms. Those elements are central to chip fabrication and data storage, used in thin-film deposition, polishing compounds, and high-performance HDD motors, but the expansion goes further by introducing an end-use test tied directly to semiconductor thresholds and extending China’s jurisdiction beyond its borders.

Google Preferred Source

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

Luke James
Contributor

Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist.  Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory.