China has imposed export controls on graphite, a material used in electric vehicle batteries, as Beijing hits back at US-led restrictions on technology sales to Chinese companies.
China, which dominates global supply chains for the mineral, will require special export permits for three grades of graphite, the commerce ministry and the General Administration of Customs said on Friday.
The new export controls, which China said were introduced on “national security” grounds, are set to escalate geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington and its allies over tech supply chains. They also underline China’s dominance of global supplies of dozens of critical resources.