Fresh supply-demand data published September 18 show that the ex-China gallium and germanium shortages are considerably more persistent than a normal commodity squeeze. Western prices are now at record levels and roughly 9–10× their 2023 levels, while China still supplied 98.9% of primary gallium and 68.6% of germanium in 2025. AI infrastructure, fiber optics and defense applications are adding demand rather than allowing the market to rebalance.
The most important new datapoint is the projected deficit. S&P Global estimates ex-China gallium capacity of only 20 tonnes by end-2026 against a roughly 678-tonne supply gap. Even assuming eight announced Western projects reach production, ex-China gallium capacity reaches only ~386 tonnes by 2030, leaving Western consumers dependent on China for about 65% of requirements. For germanium, five prospective ex-China refineries would cover only about 48% of projected 2030 demand.