On August 14, China announced export restrictions on antimony in the country’s latest move to restrict critical mineral shipments globally in the name of national security. Antimony is a critical input for the defense industry, particularly for armor-piercing ammunition, night vision goggles, infrared sensors, bullets, and precision optics, and the electronics industry, including semiconductors, cables, and batteries. This is the latest restriction after a series of export controls in 2023 on graphite, germanium, gallium, and rare earth processing technologies, raising alarms in the semiconductor, electric vehicle, and defense industries that rely on these materials.

China is the world’s leading producer of antimony, accounting for 48 percent of global production and 63 percent of U.S. antimony imports. The likelihood of antimony supply disruptions has now increased significantly, necessitating the United States to quickly secure antimony supply chains from non-Chinese sources.