On 10 April, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced the listing of high-purity quartz (HPQ) ore as China’s 174th mineral resource type. HPQ (≥99.995% SiO2 after beneficiation and purification) is used to manufacture crucibles crucial for the production of silicon wafers for the semiconductor and solar industries.

The announcement coincided with escalating reciprocal tariff declarations between the USA and China. Notably, Chinese manufacturers use HPQ from Sibelco and The Quartz Corp’s operations in Spruce Pine, USA, for the inner layer of quartz crucibles. The HPQ supply chain recently attracted attention following the disruption of operations in Spruce Pine after infrastructural damage was caused by Hurricane Helene. At the time, Project Blue speculated that the event may spur investment in other sources of supply, including synthetic alternatives.

During the 10 April announcement, China’s Ministry of Natural Resources also reported the discovery of multiple HPQ ore deposits in the eastern Qinling Mountains in Henan Province, Altay in Xinjiang Province, and Anhui Province several years ago. Pilot production has reportedly achieved HPQ grades of 99.995–99.998% SiO2, and a certain scale of industry support has been developed domestically. The new classification of HPQ ore, which will be included in the national strategic mineral resources catalogue, aims to support the localisation of China’s HPQ and associated high-tech industrial supply chains.

While the USA is expected to maintain market dominance for now as HPQ from Spruce Pine is considered unrivalled in its purity (with some products above 99.999% SiO2), increased tariffs are expected to raise the price of imported HPQ in China, potentially leading to domestic market growth. However, no information has been provided on the size of the deposits discovered in China or the time and financial support required to develop them.