Germanium and gallium are the two metals in the spotlight. China's commerce ministry on Monday said that new regulations will require exporters of gallium and germanium to get a license to ship the metals. What are germanium and gallium used for? Gallium is used for manufacturing the gallium arsenide chemical compound, which can make radio frequency chips for mobile phones and satellite communication, for example. China produces 60% of the world's germanium and 80% of gallium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, an industry body.

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Organizations: U.S, Micron, Alliance, CRM Alliance Locations: China, Europe, U.S, Beijing, Japan