Beyond Rare Earths: China’s Growing Threat to Gallium Supply Chains

Aidan Powers-Riggs, Brian Hart, Matthew P. Funaiole, 

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China is increasingly weaponizing its chokehold over critical minerals amid intensifying economic and technological competition with the United States. 

The critical mineral gallium, which is crucial to defense industry supply chains and new energy technologies, has been at the front line of China’s strategy. To date, 

China’s chokehold on rare earth metals has attracted more attention than its restrictions on gallium, and some have downplayed the potential consequences of disruptions to gallium supply chains. 

Yet CSIS analysis reveals the extent to which China can wield gallium to impose significant economic harm on the United States and its allies and partners. 

This CSIS Brief unpacks the scope of the problem and offers policy recommendations on how to bolster U.S. and allied economic security and deny China a key tool of economic warfare.

Introduction and Key Findings

Amid spiraling trade tensions with the United States, Beijing has brandished a new arsenal of economic weapons, with few proving more potent than its export controls on critical minerals. As of May 2025, 

China had restricted the export of at least 16 key minerals and alloys, many of which are essential inputs for products ranging from consumer electronics to F-35 fighter jets. These measures have struck deep into U.S. and allied supply chains, 

and appear to have given China substantial leverage in its ongoing trade and technology negotiations with the United States.