ALTERNATIVE POWER REPORT
China plans to introduce restrictions on antimony exports, a move that could lead to another flashpoint with the West over control of critical minerals. Antimony is used in lead-acid batteries, as well as in solar panels and flame retardant applications. The US Department of the Interior has designated it a critical mineral. It also is essential for armor-piercing ammunition, infrared sensors and precision optics.
Analysts estimate the market was already facing a 10,000-ton shortfall before China’s restrictions. The US is critically dependent on China for antimony. It consumed 22,000 tons of antimony products in 2023. Domestic production amounted to just 4,000 tons. This mostly came from antimonial lead recovered from used lead-acid batteries
Source: Bestmag: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: There are a lot of minerals that are now being brought into sharp focus as the US looks at its critical minerals and finds that it is more reliant on other nations than previously thought. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
