Washington is alarmed by the growing significance of China’s dominion over the world’s supply of antimony, as the Chinese government measures against exports of this commodity could hamper U.S. defense and technology sectors during times of high geopolitical tension.
Antimony is used in flame retardants, lead-acid batteries, semiconductors, infrared sensors, and military products like ammunition and night-vision goggles, all of which have recently seen price increases of almost $50,000 per ton in some instances due to China’s 2024 limitations on shipping antimony ore, refined metal, and compounds. China has produced from 48% to 60% of the global supply of antimony mined and has historically provided the overwhelming share of antimony that has been imported into the U.S. (approximately 63% over the last few years).
Some of the current restrictions will be temporarily lifted for shipments to the U.S. until November 2026, which could further restrict antimony availability. Although analysts anticipate there will be adequate overall supply for the U.S. in 2026 as a result of anticipated new supplies coming to market from Southeast Asia and relatively steady demand, the concentration of refinery capacity for antimony and others shows that Western countries are more likely to experience supply disruptions.
U.S. policymakers and industrial leaders both agree that antimony is a strategic commodity. This is evidenced by the Department of Defense’s financial commitment (funding) to antimony projects, including Perpetua Resources’ Stibnite gold-antimony mine (located in Idaho), and also supporting the United States Antimony Corporation, which is the only domestic processor of antimony in the U.S.
Larger-scale initiatives of the Trump Administration that support domestic production of antimony include Project Vault (which is the creation of Strategic Reserves) and over $30 billion in Letters of Interest (LOI)/Financing related to the development of Critical Minerals supply chains.
The demand for antimony is driven by military modernization, electronics, and new battery technologies. At the same time, World antimony production (outside of China) is limited; and there are limited reserves in only a few countries, with a handful of the significant reserves being in Russia, Bolivia, and other Nations.
This supports the U.S. government’s efforts to diversify its supply chains away from adversarial Nations. Policy makers are arguing that having domestic or Allied sources of national antimony is critical to enhancing both the National Security of the United States and ensuring Economic Resilience, especially in light of the increasing tension between China and the United States regarding the Critical Minerals.
As deadlines approach, the U.S. will continue speeding up investments into the antimony industry, including mining, refining,g andstockpilin gg to reduce its dependence on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and mitigate the risk to Defense Readiness and High Technological Manufacturing.