Hong Kong customs seized suspected antimony ingots, customs said in a statement dated April 2, a move that comes after China, the world’s biggest producer of the metal, imposed export controls on shipments in September.
The 25,171.85 kg of antimony was found on March 13 inside a 40-foot outbound container at the city’s cargo compound in the north of Hong Kong, near the mainland border, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department said, without giving a specific reason for the seizure.
China exported about 3.9 million kg of wrought and unwrought antimony last year, however shipments of these products have all but stopped since the controls were imposed in September. The only export which shows up in Chinese customs data is a 20,000-kg shipment to Japan in January.
Hong Kong Customs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Antimony is a shiny grey metalloid known since ancient times when it was used in medicine and cosmetics.
It has become increasingly strategic because of its use in military equipment, such as infrared missiles, nuclear weapons and night vision goggles, and as a hardening agent for bullets and tanks.
The biggest application today is as a flame retardant, which accounted for around half of global usage in 2023, according to brokerage CICC.
China’s export controls have fuelled a surge in global prices for the strategic metal.
Producing almost half of global supply in 2023, China’s restrictions have upended supply chains for antimony, which is also used in semiconductors, solar power equipment and munitions.
China accounted for 48% of antimony mine production in 2023, followed by Tajikistan at 25%, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
