Since the introduction of export controls in September, exports of the technology metal antimony from China have remained at a low level. In the first six months of 2025, the quantity was only a quarter of the previous year's level. The country is the most important producer of the raw material. Our experts categorise the current situation.
China's antimony exports fell massively in the first half of 2025 - a development that continues the downward trend that has been ongoing since the previous year. As can be seen from current customs data, only 107 tonnes were exported in June - a drop of 97 per cent compared to the 3,199 tonnes in June 2024. In the first six months of 2025 as a whole, the year-on-year decline was around 74 per cent.
The background to this is an export regulation that Beijing in August 2024 announced and implemented in mid-September: Since then Antimony and its chemical compounds can only be exported abroad with official authorisation. In anticipation of the new regulations, many companies ramped up their exports once again in September - but volumes then collapsed abruptly. There has been no recovery so far, and the current figures even indicate a further decline.
Frank Meier, Senior Manager Minor Metals: "The current developments confirm what has been observed on the antimony market for some time: Less and less material is leaving China and exports have slumped dramatically. The country has recently tightened export controls and steadily expanded the inspection options for raw materials destined for export. It is therefore taking longer and longer to obtain an export licence, if one is granted at all. As with other raw materials, the People's Republic also requires precise information on the end use of antimony for the granting of licences, which in some cases cannot be provided. The industry is therefore increasingly focusing on deposits outside China and is endeavouring to slowly establish alternative supply chains for antimony."
Another impressive example of China's market power
As the most important producer of numerous strategic metals such as antimony, China has an enormous influence on global supply chains. The country produces more than half of the world's antimony, and its estimated market share in refining is even higher than 85 per cent. The raw material is required for many industrial applications. For example, the metal is used to harden lead alloys. In the form of antimony trioxide, it is a key component in the production of flame retardants for paints, textiles and plastics, for example. High-purity antimony is also used in semiconductors.
The critical metal is just one impressive example of China's market power. For other raw materials that China has placed on its list of export-controlled materials, the development has been even more drastic. While antimony exports never came to a standstill, the Export of heavy rare earths such as terbium and technology metals such as Gallium and germanium to zero at times. In view of the supply bottlenecks, efforts to relocate raw material supply chains have recently gained momentum, particularly in the USA, where the Department of Defence, among others Support for a planned antimony mine has promised.
