Singapore | China is tightening its grip over global critical mineral supplies by placing export controls on antimony, a metal used widely in ammunition and other military applications that has surged in price this year.
The country will apply the restrictions to antimony and antimony-related materials from September 15 to safeguard national security, a statement from the Ministry of Commerce said. That adds to earlier controls on other critical minerals including gallium and germanium, which have set off alarm bells in Washington.
China is the world’s top supplier of more than 30 critical minerals, and it claims a 56 per cent share of global mined supplies of antimony, according to a 2023 European Union study. That dominance has been built up over decades, but recently the US and other Western governments have been ramping up efforts to secure alternative supplies.
At a regular weekly briefing on Thursday, the ministry said the curbs were not directed at any specific country or region.
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