China is reportedly set to implement export controls on advanced lithium batteries and synthetic diamonds following its earlier restrictions on rare earth metals. 

The Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao, based in in Hong Kong, said on Monday that China has prepared a “trump card” in response to the high tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, and the export control measures for the two items are expected to take effect on November 8. 

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, power tools, medical devices and renewable energy storage. 

Synthetic diamonds, which have the same properties as natural minerals but are cheaper, are used in advanced semiconductor chip production, superhard material polishing and laser optics.

Experts told Russia’s Sputnik news agency that China, as a major producer and supplier of synthetic diamonds, could leverage its position to influence U.S. chip supply chains.

Sputnik added that the export controls on synthetic diamonds appear to be a countermeasure to recent U.S. moves to restrict exports of wafer manufacturing equipment to China.