The thorough modernization of the army planned by Germany requires not only a huge injection of money, but also appropriate raw materials. Meanwhile, they are already partially missing, and the situation may worsen even more, as experts predict.
— There is an atmosphere of panic on the market, not to mention pure terror, Christian Hell, senior manager of the Germanium and minor metals trading company Tradium, told the German business weekly “Wirtschaftswoche”.
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Germany is waiting for metals from China. “Supply chains at risk”
As T-Online reports, Germany is heavily dependent on China for imports of rare specialty metals such as gallium and germanium. Their export has been severely limited for several years and varies from month to month. In April, the Germans were left empty-handed in this respect.
The German government is trying to intervene in this matter. During her visit to China on Wednesday, German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche called for ensuring German companies have reliable access to essential metals. She said that “modern technologies are unthinkable without these raw materials.”
According to data cited by T-Online, Germanium exports from China dropped by 93% in April 2025. compared to the previous month. Currently, the situation is uncertain again. While China exported 998 kg of the metal in March, it shipped almost nothing the following month. A similar situation is with gallium. — Entire supply chains are at risk, Christian Hell tells the weekly “Wirtschaftswoche”. He adds that “everyone who has so far relied on Chinese supplies should now look for alternatives.”
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However, this is difficult, because 80% of it is mined in China. world gala and over 60 percent germanium. Some arms companies, such as Rheinmetall and Hensoldt, managed to find alternative sources of supply. However, these are huge enterprises, smaller companies, including start-ups working, among others, are in a much worse situation. over modern drones.
Both gallium and germanium are so-called dual-use metals. They can be used for both military and civilian purposes. Germanium is used in night vision devices and thermal imaging sensors, detectors and semiconductors. Gallium, in turn, is needed for satellites, radar systems and 5G networks, as well as for high-frequency chips in smartphones and military electronics. “It is possible that China's suspension of supplies is a reaction to German armament efforts,” writes the T-Online portal.
