Supply ChainExport controls on critical metal have sent price of key tool surgingTungsten carbide bits, like these made by Taiwan's Topoint, drill micro-holes in printed circuit boards (PCBs) and chip substrates. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Cheng Ting-Fang)November 5, 2026 11:28 JSTTAIPEI -- China's export controls on critical metals have disrupted supplies of micro drill bits, little-known but critical components in the AI chip supply chain, in the latest example of how geopolitical tensio...