Antimony, page-193

https://www.mining.com/web/column-china-fires-latest-warning-signal-with-antimony-controls/

China’s announcement of antimony export restrictions has added fuel to a red-hot market and opens another potential flash-point with the West for control of critical minerals.

The Department of Defense was holding stocks of just over 90 metric tons (198,763 pounds) at the end of September 2022, according to the US Congressional Research Service.

The Annual Materials Plan for the current fiscal year allows for the purchase of up to an additional 1,100 tons.

That is going to be a tough challenge if the world’s dominant antimony producer limits global supply.

There is an emerging pattern here.

Last year Beijing flexed its metallic muscles with similar restrictions on exports of gallium, germanium and graphite in a tit-for-tat response to US controls on exports of advanced semiconductor chips to China.

Nor is antimony likely to be the last strategic metal to be weaponized for a potential trade war with the West.