Critical metals for electronic components and gadgets jump in price, as China's trade restrictions with the US begin to bite

The Covid pandemic was a stark reminder as to just how fragile the global supply chain is, and now we have a new one to worry over. Two weeks after China applied an export restriction to the US on any metals critical to the semiconductor industry, prices for the likes of gallium have shot up in price—to the point where it's now more expensive than it has ever been in the last 23 years.

News of gallium's price hike was reported by Mining, although it's worth noting that the soft, silvery...