Beijing Slams Tokyo with Export Ban After Hawkish Remarks

How a single sentence from Tokyo ignited a trade war

Early Monday, freight forwarders in Shanghai received a terse notice: all dual-use exports to Japan must be "re-evaluated." By noon, containers holding carbon-fiber composites and high-grade gallium sat sealed on the docks, and a new chapter in the China–Japan trade dispute began.

What sparked the freeze?

Over the weekend, Japanese policy chief Sanae Takaichi told a televised forum that Tokyo would "not rule out any option" to defend the Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China. Within hours, Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce warned of "firm counter-measures" if Japan crossed "military red lines." Less than 24 hours later, the export halt was official.

"We will not allow Japanese firms to convert Chinese materials into tools of coercion," said an unnamed commerce official in Beijing.

What is blocked?

• Carbon-fiber prepregs used in stealth aircraft.
• High-purity gallium and germanium, key to advanced radars.
• Precision ball bearings above ABEC-7 grade.

Industry fallout

Japan imports roughly 40% of its carbon-fiber feedstock from China. Analysts at Mitsubishi UFJ estimate the ban could delay deliveries to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ F-X fighter program by six months. Tokyo’s Ministry of Economy has convened an emergency task force, while exporters scramble for U.S. and Taiwanese alternatives at 30% higher cost.

Historical echoes

Beijing last restricted dual-use exports in 2010 during the rare-earth crisis, a move that forced Tokyo to diversify supply chains. "China is once again weaponizing logistics," says Hideki Arai, senior fellow at the Canon Institute for Global Studies.

What next?

Diplomats on both sides expect talks before the G7 finance meeting in May, but neither Beijing nor Tokyo shows signs of blinking. For now, Japanese manufacturers face soaring input prices, and Chinese suppliers confront lost revenue—leaving global tech supply chains caught in the cross-fire.