Let’s set the scene. April 4, 2025—China fires back at the U.S. with another chess move in this ongoing economic beef. This time, it’s export controls on seven heavy and medium rare earths. We’re talking samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. Not exactly household names, but your phone, EV, and solar tech would absolutely die without them.
This isn’t just a warning shot. It’s targeted economic pressure with global consequences. These elements are the heart of clean energy, electronics, and defense tech—and guess who controls 90% of the world’s refined rare earth output? Yep. China. Again.
And here’s the kicker: while everyone panics about these seven rare earths, they’re missing the stealth nerf. At least five of the minerals now tangled in export controls yield Silver as a byproduct. Silver—used in battery tech, solar panels, nanowires, electronics—is getting ghosted out of the supply chain, and nobody’s talking about it.
This Ain’t China’s First Restriction Rodeo
Let’s not pretend this came out of nowhere. This is just the latest beat in a pattern of escalating economic retaliation. Here’s a rundown of what’s been going on since 2023:
February 2025 – Targeted Metal Controls
- Tungsten, Indium, Bismuth, Tellurium, Molybdenum
China required licenses for the export of 20+ products tied to these metals. While not outright bans, these are surgical restrictions—just enough to spook the market and squeeze Western buyers without crashing their own bag.
January 2025 – Tech Export Chokehold Incoming
- Battery, Lithium & Gallium Processing Technology
China proposed export restrictions on the tech behind battery components and the refining of lithium and gallium. This move is all about strangling the supply chain before the West can scale up domestic alternatives. Some companies even preemptively halted exports after the proposal dropped.
December 2024 – Straight-Up Bans
- Antimony, Gallium, Germanium
China fully banned exports of these metals to the U.S. in response to chip sanctions. These bans hit hard—antimony, for example, is used in everything from flame retardants to munitions. Even countries like Japan and India had trouble getting access months after licenses were introduced. - China controls between 50% and 90% of the global supply and refining of these three metals. They’ve essentially got their boot on the neck of entire sectors.
Rare Earth Magnet Tech Ban
- Also in December 2023, China expanded its controls to block exports of tech used to make rare earth magnets. These magnets are core to EV motors, wind turbines, and military equipment. And yes—China owns almost the entire global refining game. Again.
Here’s Where Silver Slides In
Now let’s get back to the sleeper critical mineral: Silver.
Out of the several minerals targeted in the past few months/years, five are associated with metals that yield Silver as a byproduct. So even though silver isn’t explicitly mentioned in these announcements, it’s getting caught in the blast radius.
Check the receipts:
Table: How Silver Gets Pulled Into the Drama
So when you cut off exports of these minerals or make the tech behind refining them off-limits, you’re not just blocking bismuth or indium—you’re nuking Silver flow on the side.
Why It Matters: Battery Tech, Solar, and Beyond
If you think silver’s just for coins, you’re missing the plot. It’s essential for:
- High-performance solar panels
- Silver in touchscreens and flexible batteries
- Conductive pastes for electronics
- EV infrastructure
- All War Efforts and Technology
Without reliable access to Silver—especially the kind that comes from refining these restricted metals—the West is left coping while China double-fists the rare earth market and the silver that slips out during the process.
The Silver Wars Continue
This isn’t just about tariffs. It’s a full-blown economic throttle, and Silver is the sleeper casualty. Western companies are scrambling to rejig their supply chains, but that takes years, not months. China isn’t just playing defense—it’s weaponizing control over the boring, messy, “byproduct” stuff that no one pays attention to until the supply chain breaks.
So while everyone’s staring at dysprosium and magnets, keep your eyes on Silver. Because that little “bonus metal” might be the one to loudly break the battery tech race wide open.
