China’s critical mineral curbs shake AI data center suppliers

China's critical mineral curbs shake AI data center suppliers China's critical mineral curbs shake AI data center suppliers

TAIPEI — Tech companies building AI data centers for Nvidia, Amazon and Google are counting on a breakthrough in U.S.-China trade negotiations as their stockpiles of critical minerals and related materials run painfully low.

China tightened its restrictions on critical elements used in tech manufacturing in April amid trade tensions with the U.S. Since then, prices of these elements have surged, and supplies of materials that use them, such as low-temperature solder paste, can be measured in weeks, executives from multiple suppliers told Nikkei Asia.