China Germanium Supply Chain — Production, Exports & US Reliance

China appears ranked #1 in the producer list for germanium on the Critical Minerals HQ Germanium page (out of 4 listed producers).

Current Germanium Price

1400 USD/kg (updated 2026-05-03T18:54:14.722Z) — see the Germanium live price page for refresh history and chart.

China's Role in the Global Germanium Supply Chain

China controls over 80% of global germanium production and imposed export controls in 2023.

China's 2023 export controls directly threaten Western defense and telecom supply chains.

The global germanium market is small, strategic and dominated by China, which controls over 80% of global germanium production and imposed export controls in 2023 — directly tightening supply for the fiber-optic, infrared-optics and defense applications that depend on it.

On the supply side, the germanium market is dominated by China, which controls over 80% of global germanium production.

China Germanium Export Controls

China controls over 80% of global germanium production and imposed export controls in 2023.

China's 2023 export controls directly threaten Western defense and telecom supply chains.

The global germanium market is small, strategic and dominated by China, which controls over 80% of global germanium production and imposed export controls in 2023 — directly tightening supply for the fiber-optic, infrared-optics and defense applications that depend on it.

China imposed export controls on germanium (alongside gallium) in 2023, which Critical Minerals HQ has covered as directly threatening Western defense and telecom supply chains.

China imposed export controls on germanium in 2023, which directly threatens Western defense and telecom supply chains.

The 2023 Chinese export-control regime has accelerated US investment in recycling and in restarting non-Chinese byproduct supply.

China's 2023 export controls and its dominant production share directly threaten Western defense and telecom supply chains, which is why germanium sits on the US critical minerals list.

Top Germanium Producing Countries

  1. China
  2. Russia
  3. Canada
  4. United States

More China Supply Pages

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Frequently Asked Questions

What share of global germanium comes from China?

China controls over 80% of global germanium production and imposed export controls in 2023.

Has China restricted germanium exports?

China controls over 80% of global germanium production and imposed export controls in 2023.

What else does the source copy say about China and germanium?

China's 2023 export controls directly threaten Western defense and telecom supply chains.