Sino-U.S. trade war escalates with China banning exports of some critical minerals [Video]

China is imposing export restrictions on the United States on certain critical minerals used in the military and high-tech industries as a trade war worsens between the two superpowers.

China on Tuesday said it would ban exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the United States, citing national security concerns. China said it would also look at potentially further restricting the export of graphite, which is a key input for electric car batteries.

The crackdown on critical minerals is retaliation over U.S. president Biden recently imposing restrictions on exports to China of select semiconductors used in artificial intelligence.

After rolling out the sanctions on the U.S., Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in a briefing on Tuesday accused the U.S. of “malicious suppression of China’s technological progress,” according to the Associated Press.

“China firmly opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security, abuse of export control measures, and illegal …