The Ministry of Commerce prohibits natural sand to Taiwan. Analysis states that natural sand can be used for buildings or chip manufacturing

Jimu Journalist Zeng Lingzheng

Intern Huang Xin

On August 3, the Ministry of Commerce of China stated that it will suspend the natural sand exports to Taiwan. Jimu reporters learned that from the source, natural sand can be divided into various categories such as sea sand, river sand, quartz sand, and silicon sand. From the perspective of use, it can be divided into two types: industrial and construction. Natural sand imports in Taiwan have relying on the mainland by 90 %. According to the research report of securities firms, in 2021, there were 87,000 tons of natural sand exported from mainland China to Taiwan, accounting for 1.23%of its imported natural sand. However, the part of the non -quartz sand was 67,000 tons, accounting for 12.4%of the non -quartz sand imported from Taiwan.

Paralysis of natural sand exports to Taiwan (picture source: Ministry of Commerce official website)

Starting from now on the export of natural sand in Taiwan

A spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce stated on August 3 that according to relevant laws and regulations, it was decided to suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan. Related measures will be implemented from August 3, 2022.

Chen Ziling, chief analyst of the Centennial Building Network of the construction industry consultation platform, introduced to Jimu Journalist that natural sand was formed by natural conditions (mainly rocky), with a particle size of rock particles with a particle size below 0.45 mm. It can be divided into two types of construction sand and industrial sand. Among them, the construction sand is divided into lake sand, river sand (containing silicon sand), mountain sand, and diluted sea sand. Can be used for construction of highways and buildings. Industrial sand has quartz sand, silicon sand, which can be used for glass and chip manufacturing. At present, the origin of natural sand in China is mainly two lakes and one river, namely Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, and the Yangtze River Basin. The average natural sand annual output of these areas is about 40 million tons.

On August 3, Xin Xiu Ling, an analyst of CITIC Futures Co., Ltd., analyzed in the research report that in 2021, a total of 87,000 tons of natural sand imported from the mainland from the mainland, of which the quartz sand was 19,500 tons, accounting for 1.23% of imports of imports, 1.23% Essence A total of 67,000 tons of natural sand except quartz sand, accounting for 12.4%of imports. As a result, the suspension of exports on Taiwan has little impact on the domestic market.

However, some netizens speculate that the raw materials of the chip are silicon wafers, and the raw materials of the silicon wafer are natural sand. The suspension of natural sand exports in Taiwan will crack down on its chip industry.

In this regard, Chen Ziling said that the Ministry of Commerce has not fully explained what kind of natural sand that suspended the export. Therefore, it is inconvenient to analyze its impact on Taiwan. However, in recent years, with the increase in domestic environmental protection, the demand for natural sand in China has gradually increased, and the market has gradually bears. Since 2018, the overall natural sand exports in China have gradually decreased. "Considering the limited profit of sand exports for buildings, some of the natural sand imported from Taiwan is part of the silicon sand made of chip manufacturing." Chen Ziling said.

In 2007, the General Administration of Customs had implemented management measures for natural sand exports (picture source: official website of the Ministry of Commerce)

90 % of the amount of sand in Taiwan has relied on the mainland

In fact, 15 years ago, the mainland had suspended the export of natural sand due to environmental protection issues. Jimu Journalists inquired that in December 2006, the Ministry of Commerce will issue Announcement No. 87 with the General Administration of Customs that it has been restored to natural sand export measures from March 1, 2007.

According to surging news reports, the Ministry of Commerce documents showed that more than 90%of the natural sand in Taiwan at that time came from the mainland. Tang Wei, then director of the Taiwan -Hong Kong -Macao Department of the Ministry of Commerce, mentioned in a press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council that Taiwan's sand and gravel industry and relevant parties reported to it through various channels that the shortage of sand and gravel resources on the island of Taiwan The price soaring, the sand and gravel industry, the construction industry, and the overall economic development have been greatly affected. In November 2017, 6 associations including the Taiwan Import Sand and Graviac Association, the Taiwan Civil Engineers Association Federation of Taiwan, and other six associations came to Beijing to communicate with the relevant competent authorities of the mainland, hoping to promote the early recovery of natural sand exports.

On December 9, 2007, CCTV's "Cross -Straits of the Strait" showed a connection interview with relevant people in Taiwan on the issue of natural sand recovery to Taiwan. Yu Lie, the chairman of the Federation of the Taiwan Civil Engineers Association, said that the prohibition of natural sand exports from leaving the price of building raw materials by two or three times, "allowing many public projects and private investment projects to face stop work and suspension." Zheng Youping, a professor at Taipei University, said that in 2006, Taiwan's imported natural sand was more than 31 million tons, accounting for one -third of the total demand, and almost all of them came from the mainland. "If you do not find a way to solve this problem, it will be a one for Taiwan's economic development. Major blows. "

In March 2008, according to the Fujian Media Straits Herald report, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and other places have a large demand for natural sand, and the exports of Fujian Province to China accounted for more than 60 % of natural sand exports in the province. In March of that year, the "Application Procedure and related matters for the Natural Sand Export License in Taiwan" was released.

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