China announces artificial diamond export curbs set to take effect day before US tariff truce deadline

BEIJING: China on Thursday announced export curbs on some types of artificial diamonds set to take effect just before the U.S.-China tariff truce is scheduled to end, further tightening Beijing's grip over high-tech manufacturing supply chains.

AI Brief

China will require licenses for exporting artificial diamonds, grinding tools, and key tech materials.
These materials are vital for high-tech manufacturing and have dual-use applications in defense systems.
The move comes ahead of a Trump-Xi meeting, as both nations face pressure over tariffs and global supply chain control.

Certain artificial diamond micropowders, single crystals, wire saws and grinding wheels will require an export licence from November 8, China's commerce ministry and customs authority said in a statement.

Diamond, one of the hardest known materials, is crucial to high-precision manufacturing, and is commonly used for ultra-fine polishing of semiconductors, machining hard metals and ceramics in quantum devices, and dissipating heat in advanced electronic systems.

Artificial diamonds also have dual-use military applications, and are used to tool munitions and in the production of radar components.

In a separate statement, the two authorities also announced export controls on certain lithium-ion batteries, key manufacturing equipment, and artificial graphite anode materials, measures that could further strengthen Beijing's hold over the global clean energy supply chain.

The world's second-largest economy on Thursday also added five new rare earth elements to its export control list, as it looks to strengthen its negotiating position amid trade tensions with the United States.

Citing a need to protect its "national security," the raft of export control curbs come ahead of an expected meeting later this month between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The two superpowers appear to be struggling to chart a path just before the end of their current tariff truce, a 90-day pause from August 11 that ends around November 9. U.S. and Chinese officials met after last month's Madrid summit, widely viewed as a breakthrough for its TikTok deal, to discuss technical issues that predated the meeting.

China exported US$30 million worth of the types of artificial diamonds and related equipment targeted by the new export controls to the U.S. in 2024, according to Chinese customs data. The U.S. was the third-largest buyer of diamond powders, behind India and South Korea, and the third-largest buyer of grinding wheels, behind Vietnam and India.