Gallium & germanium supply chain chokepoints

category tradeable chokepoint

How scores are shown

Criticality Criticality comes from the trace model and describes the node's dependency importance.

Evidence Evidence comes from the canonical Vein Graph: AI assertions, user corrections, and external sources.

Completeness Completeness is a data-coverage label based on available summary, evidence, sources, tickers, and chokepoint rationale.

Dynamic claims are capped below 100% and AI-only edges remain labeled as inferred. Model: trace-score-v1

Gallium refining90% confidence — China dominates gallium refining, so export controls can quickly squeeze GaN and RF device supply.

Germanium purification90% confidence — Germanium refining is concentrated and tied to a small number of specialty processors in Europe and China.

Compound semiconductor supply chainSemiconductors

Critical minor metals refined into substrates and wafers for RF, photonics, and power devices.

Criticality: unknownEvidence: UnverifiedCompleteness: thin

Gallium refiningRefining⚠ chokepoint

Gallium recovered from bauxite and zinc processing before high-purity refining.

China dominates gallium refining, so export controls can quickly squeeze GaN and RF device supply.90% confidence

Criticality: highEvidence: UnverifiedCompleteness: partial

— core tradeable element

Germanium purificationMaterials⚠ chokepoint

High-purity germanium for infrared optics, fiber, and certain defense electronics.

Germanium refining is concentrated and tied to a small number of specialty processors in Europe and China.90% confidence

Criticality: highEvidence: UnverifiedCompleteness: partial

— core tradeable element

Epitaxy wafers & RF device fabsManufacturingmedium criticality

GaN and GaAs epitaxy plus wafer fabrication for radar, telecom, and power conversion.

Criticality: mediumEvidence: UnverifiedCompleteness: thin

— core tradeable element

Defense and telecom end demandDemandmedium criticality

Radar, datacom, and RF front-end demand pulling on a narrow materials chain.

Criticality: mediumEvidence: UnverifiedCompleteness: thin

— core tradeable element

Generated analysis — not investment advice.

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