China is the world's second-largest exporter of silver behind Hong Kong, and toward the end of 2025, it announced new restrictions on how much metal producers could ship out of the country. The restrictions took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. China is trying to protect its domestic supply chains because it's one of the world's largest manufacturers of electronics, but these new restrictions also give the country additional leverage in trade negotiations with other economic superpowers like the U.S.In 2024, around ...