TRADIUM has expanded its portfolio for private buyers interested in raw materials by adding three new physical assets that are now available for purchase. We explain why these three offer significant potential - starting with antimony.
With antimony, TRADIUM adds a strategic metal to its portfolio whose market is strongly shaped by geopolitical conditions.
A raw material with diverse applications
Antimony is indispensable in numerous key industries. It is used, among other things, in car batteries, flame retardants, solar installations, semiconductors, and in alloys for military and security technology. Demand is therefore closely linked to technological progress, the ongoing energy transition, and security-policy frameworks.
New sources of supply bring movement to the market
At the same time, the market is small and highly concentrated. For decades, China has not only accounted for the majority of global production but also possesses the necessary know-how for downstream processing. While new sources of supply have now emerged and injected more momentum into the market, this development only slightly alleviates extreme scarcity and does not change the fundamental sensitivity of the antimony market to political decisions and international tensions. China nevertheless remains the leading producer of high-quality antimony products and holds a strong market position.
Why is antimony attractive as a physical asset?
- very limited availability
- central role in energy, defence, and electronics applications
- clear strategic importance in EU and US raw materials policy
Antimony is a classic “early indicator”: those who recognise how political decisions create new scarcities will act here at an early stage.
Antimony signals geopolitical developments at an early stage
Hardly any other metal reflects the upheavals of the global economic order as clearly as antimony: after China imposed strict export controls on antimony and derived products in September 2024, shipments to the EU and the United States virtually came to a standstill. Since October 2024, Chinese customs statistics have shown no exports to these regions. The market subsequently went through an exceptional period of dislocation in 2025, with prices rising sharply at times.
Antimony now available as a physical asset at TRADIUM
Frank Meier, raw materials expert at TRADIUM, on the new physical asset:
“Antimony is a raw material with exceptional potential and is now also available as a physical asset. Following China's export restrictions in September 2024, new sources of supply have revitalised the market and added new momentum. The versatile metal reacts sensitively to geopolitical developments. Buyers who monitor the market closely can use this knowledge strategically when diversifying their portfolios with strategic metals.”
In the coming weeks, TRADIUM will introduce the other two new physical assets in its portfolio and shed light on their market environments, areas of application, and their potential in diversification.
In addition to technology metals, the portfolio also includes rare earths and all major precious metals. What all of these physical assets have in common is that their industrial importance is growing while production and availability remain structurally constrained. Recent developments in rare earths, among others, have shown what impact this can have. You can read more about this in our article “Rare Earths from Private Ownership Supply Europe's Industry.”
