Critical-Mineral Restrictions Reveal Hidden Risk | MSCI

China controls 99% of global primary gallium production and has resumed export controls on the critical mineral, which is essential for compound semiconductors used in radar, 5G, military electronics, EV charging and medical imaging. Supply-chain analysis reveals that semiconductor-dependent companies across multiple sectors face hidden China dependency at indirect supplier tiers that conventional monitoring misses, with gallium dependency extending even further upstream through alumina refining. If you make 5G, EV chargers, radar or power electronics, your supply chain just broke in a way you can't see from your direct suppliers. China controls the gallium you need through alumina refining capacity, and export controls mean your next component order hits a wall your procurement team doesn't know exists yet.