FACTBOX: Materials targeted by EU, U.S. in China WTO case

(Reuters) - The European Union and the United States are taking action against China at the World Trade Organization over export restrictions on a number of industrial raw materials used in steel, cars, microchips, planes and other products.

Brussels and Washington say Beijing continues to restrict exports of raw materials used in steel, semiconductors, aircraft and other products despite China's pledge to eliminate taxes and charges on exports when it joined the WTO in 2001.

Included in the materials covered by the case is a range of strategic minor metals used in applications such as alloys, ceramics, mobile phones and light bulbs.

Some of these metals come from a limited range of sources and their supply can be vulnerable to interruption.

Here are the key uses of some of the listed materials:

BAUXITE

The most important aluminum ore, used for refining into alumina -- the raw material used to make aluminum.

COKE

A key steel input processed from a type of coal known as coking coal.

FLUORSPAR

A mineral composed of calcium fluoride, or fluorite. Used to manufacture products such as aluminum, gasoline, insulating foams, refrigerants, steel and uranium fuel.

MANGANESE

Essential to iron and steel production because of its sulphur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties. Steelmaking, including its ironmaking component, has accounted for 85 to 90 percent of manganese demand worldwide.

MAGNESIUM CARBONATE

A light white powdery compound used in a wide variety of manufactured products including inks, glass, cosmetics, toothpaste, rubber, plastics.

SILICON CARBIDE

Used in transistors, solar cells, rectifiers and other electronic devices like computer chips. It is also used to make concrete and bricks, and in medicine for silicone implants. Silica, as sand, is a main component of glass.

SILICON METAL

Used in manufacture of special steels and cast iron, aluminum alloys, glass and refractory materials, ceramics, abrasives, water filtration, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, paper, insecticides and textiles.

Fused silica is used as an ablative material in rocket engines, spacecraft. Silica fibers are used in reinforced plastics.

Silicon metal is important to the electronic industry as the base material used to manufacture semiconductors, microchips for computers and solar cells used to capture electrical energy from the sun.

YELLOW PHOSPHORUS

Used widely in products including fire extinguishers, explosives, nerve agents, pesticides, detergents, animal foods and baking powder.

ZINC

Mainly used as a protective coating for iron and steel. It is especially useful as a protection against corrosion in steam boilers and on the hulls of steel ships. It is also alloyed with copper to make brass.

(Compiled by Jeremy Smith and Darren Ennis, editing by Vicki Allen)