India is engaging with the Chinese government to navigate export restrictions on germanium, a critical mineral that is used in manufacturing of semiconductors, fiber optic cables and solar panels.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

India is engaging with the Chinese government to navigate export restrictions on germanium, a critical mineral that is used in manufacturing of semiconductors, fiber optic cables and solar panels. The export restrictions for the element — over half of its annual output comes from China — may have caused some friction in electronics manufacturing and other industries that require the element.

In response to a Right to Information application from The Hindu, the Indian embassy in Beijing listed germanium as the only element mentioned in grievances from Indian industry players regarding China’s export restrictions of rare earth elements (REEs). Germanium is not listed as an REE, a category that includes 17 heavy metals that China has a practical monopoly in refining.

Germanium and gallium’s exports to the United States were largely banned last November, and a year before, were placed under “export licensing” for other countries. India makes no germanium, and is completely reliant on imports for the element. According to a financial daily’s report in 2024, India is relying on imports of germanium through a supplier in the United Arab Emirates, a process that has inflated costs for Indian importers.

The embassy in Beijing declined to disclose specific representations and meetings with Chinese officials on the issue. “The matter has been taken up with Ministries/Departments concerned on the Chinese side through formal communications as well as during meetings,” the embassy said in its response to The Hindu.

Germanium oxide is used in the “core of the preform” for fiber optic cables, an industry expert said. “Preforms are solid cylinders of glass which are used to draw optical fibers in specialised furnaces.”

While relations with China have cooled down in recent months, the country is reportedly thwarting certain projects with export curbs and even travel restrictions. For instance, Apple, Inc.’s contract manufacturer for iPhones, Foxconn, was reportedly prevented from allowing personnel to travel from China to India, and more recently, moving heavy machinery needed to make the phones.

“I guess these are matters which pertain to Foxconn and several other Indian private entities so they would be looking into it,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a query on these restrictions in January.