Latest news with #antimony
Auto Blog
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
How China Is Sparking a Battery Crisis
The auto industry faces yet another supply chain issue stemming from China Antimony is a material critical to lead-acid battery manufacturing, and China's export restrictions on this critical mineral, implemented last summer, have battery makers under pressure. Lead-acid batteries in the automotive industry are most commonly found in gas-powered vehicles and are used for functions like engine starts and powering low-voltage instruments such as dashboard displays. Antimony is also used in EV lead-acid batteries and flame-retardant materials. 0:03 / 0:09 Walmart is selling a 'heavy duty' $89 step ladder for $48, and shoppers say it's 'sturdy and secure' Watch More According to Reuters, Antimony now costs more than $60,000 per metric ton, which is more than quadruple its year-over-year price. In 2024, China produced 60% of the world's antimony supply, and several countries that mine the mineral process it in China. Beijing added antimony to its export control list last September, and companies now need a license for overseas deals. Additionally, China banned U.S. antimony exports in December, which remains in effect. China's global antimony exports are now a third of last year's. Connecting jumper cables to a lead-acid car battery — Source: Getty How is the U.S. responding? U.S. companies are responding with gray market antimony purchases or buying at elevated prices from sellers who pre-accumulated stockpiles. Last week, China and the U.S. reached a deal on rare earth exports, which the automotive industry heavily relies on for magnets used in several vehicle parts, but antimony doesn't appear to have been discussed between the two countries. Like antimony, China has a monopoly on rare earths, but at a higher percentage than antimony, with 70% of mining and 90% of processing occurring domestically. Steve Christensen, executive director of the U.S.-based Responsible Battery Coalition, labeled the antimony situation a national emergency and said Western countries have become 'Overly reliant on a single geopolitical adversary for minerals foundational to both national defense and civilian life,' Reuters reports. Christensen added: 'For the U.S., the path forward must include onshoring processing capacity, scaling domestic recycling, and building strategic mineral alliances with trusted partners. Otherwise, this crisis will repeat itself again and again.' Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Clarios, a U.S.-based global leader in battery manufacturing, disclosed last month that it was considering locations for a critical minerals processing and recovery plant in the U.S. that would extract antimony, among other minerals. The facility would cost up to $1.9 billion, and Indiana, Texas, and Utah are emerging as potential locations. Antimony is listed by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a mineral critical to the U.S. economy and national security. The U.S. Antimony market size is expected to rise from $270 million in 2024 to $550 million by 2035, with a 6.82% growth rate, according to Market Research Future. Overall, antimony demand is around 230,000-240,000 tons a year, with lead-acid batteries accounting for about a third of that, Reuters reports using data from consultancy Project Blue. Antimony rock — Source: Getty Final thoughts Antimony remains essential in the automotive industry as more car manufacturers extend timelines for gas-powered vehicle production and use the critical mineral in the growing EV segment. Securing a stable supply of antimony and rare earths for magnets is vital in avoiding future bottlenecks from countries like China. If the U.S. doesn't diversify its antimony supply chains and help facilitate competition within the market, production costs could continue to increase at a time when car prices are already high, and segments like EVs could experience slowed growth. About the Author Cody Carlson View Profile
The Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Australian
ITM on tail of Reynolds Range antimony
ITM identifies up to 12.35g/t gold and 5.4% antimony in historical drilling Results add to project's gold and antimony prospectivity with new structures emerging Mapping and sampling planned ahead of drilling Special Report: iTech Minerals has identified gold and antimony in data from historical drilling and rock chips at Falchion prospect of its Reynolds Range project in the NT. The project area is part of the ~42km-long Stafford Gold Trend with 50km of strike coincident with the Trans-Tanami regional structure. Previous gold exploration at Reynolds Range in the 1990s was conducted primarily by Poseidon Gold, Exodus Minerals, North Flinders Mines, Normandy and Newmont. Historical drill holes at Falchion were on the hunt for gold and not routinely analysed for antimony. But now, the company has revealed historical mineralisation over a strike of 400m and this is open to the east. Notable results include: 22m at 2.20g/t gold and 2.3% antimony and 8m at 1.3g/t Au including 2m at 12.35g/t Au and 5.4% Sb; 24m at 2.75g/t Au; 10m at 1.29g/t Au; and 7m at 1.4g/t Au. A review of the controls on gold and antimony mineralisation has identified multiple prospective structures in the surrounding region and this new geological interpretation allows for expanded gold prospectivity at Falchion and surrounding prospects. iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM) plans to test targets down dip of existing mineralisation, extensions of mineralisation to the west and underneath mineralised rock chips missed by historical drilling as well as exploring along strike of the northern gold zone to the east. Watch: iTech joins forces with powerhouse SQM 18km of prospective gold/antimony structures Notably, the geological review found chargeability anomalies caused by high concentrations of sulphides (including pyrrhotite) associated with gold-antimony mineralisation and defined by gradient array induced polarisation. The company also found a subtle magnetic anomaly due to high concentrations of magnetic pyrrhotite associated with gold-antimony mineralisation. ITM has now identified more than 18km of prospective structures coincident with a regional 6.5km-long antimony in lag soil anomaly. 'A review of historical drilling at the Falchion gold-antimony prospect has identified up to 400m of mineralised strike just 1.4km from the 800m-long Sabre gold antimony prospect to the east,' managing director Mike Schwarz said. 'Importantly the Falchion prospect remains open at depth and to the east. 'Up to 18km of prospective structures have been identified in the region based on similarities to the Falchion and Sabre prospects.' Mapping and sampling of the newly identified prospective structures is planned to help narrow down targets with potential for economic mineralisation for drill testing. Drilling is expected to commence in the second half of 2025. This article was developed in collaboration with iTech Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Battery makers sweat as antimony shortage hits after China's export curbs
MELBOURNE - When China restricts exports of a key mineral, sometimes the pain is sudden and even crippling - enough to spur a major outcry almost immediately. Other times, it takes longer to be felt. For the world's makers of lead-acid batteries, China's restrictions on critical mineral antimony that were put in place late last year have become a major headache - one that their customers also now have as sky-high procurement costs are passed on. "We consider it a national emergency," said Steve Christensen, executive director at the U.S.-based Responsible Battery Coalition, whose members include battery maker Clarios, Honda and FedEx. He noted the key role batteries play in industry and civilian life, how antimony is used in military equipment, as well as the surge in spot prices. Antimony now costs more than $60,000 per metric ton, having more than quadrupled over the past year. "There are no quick solutions... We were completely caught off guard collectively, as an industry," he said. China likely produced 60% of all antimony supply in 2024, according to the United States Geological Survey. Much of antimony mined in other countries is also sent to China for processing. Beijing added the mineral to its export control list last September, requiring companies to gain licences for each overseas antimony deal. It then followed up in December with an outright ban on shipments to the U.S. - an action seen as retaliatory after Washington further restricted exports of advanced semiconductors to Chinese companies. China's global exports of antimony are now just a third of levels seen this time last year. Christensen said U.S. companies are hugely reliant on China for their supply of antimony and buyers are increasingly having to procure from an emerging "grey market", where sellers that have stocked up on the material are charging extremely high prices. China's restrictions on antimony precede its controls on rare earths and rare earth magnets that were imposed in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and do not appear to have been discussed in last week's efforts to stabilise a truce in trade tensions between the two countries. Last week's talks between China and the U.S. also did not include any agreement on specialised rare earths such as samarium needed for military applications. VULNERABLE Lead-acid batteries, commonly found in gasoline-engine vehicles, are mostly used to start the engine and to power low-voltage instruments. They are also used as sources of backup power in various industries and to store excess energy generated by solar and wind systems. In addition to batteries, antimony is also essential to military equipment such as night vision goggles, navigation systems and ammunition. Overall antimony demand is some 230,000-240,000 tonnes a year with lead-acid batteries accounting for about a third of that, according to consultancy Project Blue. While many battery makers may have access to antimony-lead alloy from recycled materials, Project Blue estimates they collectively need around 10,000 tonnes a year of higher purity antimony to top up the alloy to reach the right battery properties. Securing that additional portion could be challenging. Project Blue director Nils Backeberg said there is enough antimony outside China to satisfy non-Chinese demand but buyers need to compete with Chinese purchasers such as the country's huge solar industry, and China's smelters are able to offer better terms. "With antimony prices at nearly 5x normal market conditions, the cost becomes a factor and with supply limited on the Western market, a shortage is being felt," he said. For now, it seems that battery makers' antimony woes have not yet led to cuts in output, with companies like Germany's Hoppecke saying they have managed to pass on higher costs. Japan's GS Yuasa said it has passed on costs to some customers and is negotiating with more of its customers to do so. One source at an Indian battery maker said antimony represented only a small cost of a battery and price increases were being passed onto customers, but any more price rises could spell trouble. "If the price does increase further, everyone (in the industry) will be vulnerable," said the source who was not authorised to speak to the media and declined to be identified. The companies and the source at the Indian battery maker declined to disclose the size of their product price hikes. In a sign that profits are being affected, India's Exide Industries blamed high prices for antimony when it logged smaller-than-expected income for its fourth quarter. Christensen of the Responsible Battery Coalition said policymakers should treat the issue as one of national security, arguing that Western countries had become "overly reliant on a single geopolitical adversary for minerals foundational to both national defense and civilian life." "For the U.S., the path forward must include onshoring processing capacity, scaling domestic recycling, and building strategic mineral alliances with trusted partners. Otherwise, this crisis will repeat itself again and again," he added. Some baby steps towards building an antimony supply chain outside of China are being taken. Clarios, owned by global investment firm Brookfield, said last month it was scouting locations for an up to $1 billion critical minerals processing and recovery plant in the U.S. that will extract antimony among other minerals. Nyrstar, owned by global commodity trader Trafigura, also said last month it could produce antimony at its South Australian metals processing plant but would need government support to do so. (Reporting by Melanie Burton; Additional reporting by Eric Onstad in London, Neha Arora in New Delhi, Ernest Scheyder in Houston, Lewis Jackson in Beijing, Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo and Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Battery makers sweat as antimony shortage hits after China's export curbs
MELBOURNE, June 18 (Reuters) - When China restricts exports of a key mineral, sometimes the pain is sudden and even crippling - enough to spur a major outcry almost immediately. Other times, it takes longer to be felt. For the world's makers of lead-acid batteries, China's restrictions on critical mineral antimony that were put in place late last year have become a major headache - one that their customers also now have as sky-high procurement costs are passed on. "We consider it a national emergency," said Steve Christensen, executive director at the U.S.-based Responsible Battery Coalition, whose members include battery maker Clarios, Honda (7267.T), opens new tab and FedEx (FDX.N), opens new tab. He noted the key role batteries play in industry and civilian life, how antimony is used in military equipment, as well as the surge in spot prices. Antimony now costs more than $60,000 per metric ton, having more than quadrupled over the past year. "There are no quick solutions... We were completely caught off guard collectively, as an industry," he said. China likely produced 60% of all antimony supply in 2024, according to the United States Geological Survey. Much of antimony mined in other countries is also sent to China for processing. Beijing added the mineral to its export control list last September, requiring companies to gain licences for each overseas antimony deal. It then followed up in December with an outright ban on shipments to the U.S. - an action seen as retaliatory after Washington further restricted exports of advanced semiconductors to Chinese companies. China's global exports of antimony are now just a third of levels seen this time last year. Christensen said U.S. companies are hugely reliant on China for their supply of antimony and buyers are increasingly having to procure from an emerging "grey market", where sellers that have stocked up on the material are charging extremely high prices. China's restrictions on antimony precede its controls on rare earths and rare earth magnets that were imposed in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and do not appear to have been discussed in last week's efforts to stabilise a truce in trade tensions between the two countries. Last week's talks between China and the U.S. also did not include any agreement on specialised rare earths such as samarium needed for military applications. Lead-acid batteries, commonly found in gasoline-engine vehicles, are mostly used to start the engine and to power low-voltage instruments. They are also used as sources of backup power in various industries and to store excess energy generated by solar and wind systems. In addition to batteries, antimony is also essential to military equipment such as night vision goggles, navigation systems and ammunition. Overall antimony demand is some 230,000-240,000 tonnes a year with lead-acid batteries accounting for about a third of that, according to consultancy Project Blue. While many battery makers may have access to antimony-lead alloy from recycled materials, Project Blue estimates they collectively need around 10,000 tonnes a year of higher purity antimony to top up the alloy to reach the right battery properties. Securing that additional portion could be challenging. Project Blue director Nils Backeberg said there is enough antimony outside China to satisfy non-Chinese demand but buyers need to compete with Chinese purchasers such as the country's huge solar industry, and China's smelters are able to offer better terms. "With antimony prices at nearly 5x normal market conditions, the cost becomes a factor and with supply limited on the Western market, a shortage is being felt," he said. For now, it seems that battery makers' antimony woes have not yet led to cuts in output, with companies like Germany's Hoppecke saying they have managed to pass on higher costs. Japan's GS Yuasa (6674.T), opens new tab said it has passed on costs to some customers and is negotiating with more of its customers to do so. One source at an Indian battery maker said antimony represented only a small cost of a battery and price increases were being passed onto customers, but any more price rises could spell trouble. "If the price does increase further, everyone (in the industry) will be vulnerable," said the source who was not authorised to speak to the media and declined to be identified. The companies and the source at the Indian battery maker declined to disclose the size of their product price hikes. In a sign that profits are being affected, India's Exide Industries ( opens new tab blamed high prices for antimony when it logged smaller-than-expected income for its fourth quarter. Christensen of the Responsible Battery Coalition said policymakers should treat the issue as one of national security, arguing that Western countries had become "overly reliant on a single geopolitical adversary for minerals foundational to both national defense and civilian life." "For the U.S., the path forward must include onshoring processing capacity, scaling domestic recycling, and building strategic mineral alliances with trusted partners. Otherwise, this crisis will repeat itself again and again," he added. Some baby steps towards building an antimony supply chain outside of China are being taken. Clarios, owned by global investment firm Brookfield, said last month it was scouting locations for an up to $1 billion critical minerals processing and recovery plant in the U.S. that will extract antimony among other minerals. Nyrstar, owned by global commodity trader Trafigura, also said last month it could produce antimony at its South Australian metals processing plant but would need government support to do so.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis-Battery makers sweat as antimony shortage hits after China's export curbs
By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) -When China restricts exports of a key mineral, sometimes the pain is sudden and even crippling - enough to spur a major outcry almost immediately. Other times, it takes longer to be felt. For the world's makers of lead-acid batteries, China's restrictions on critical mineral antimony that were put in place late last year have become a major headache - one that their customers also now have as sky-high procurement costs are passed on. "We consider it a national emergency," said Steve Christensen, executive director at the U.S.-based Responsible Battery Coalition, whose members include battery maker Clarios, Honda and FedEx. He noted the key role batteries play in industry and civilian life, how antimony is used in military equipment, as well as the surge in spot prices. Antimony now costs more than $60,000 per metric ton, having more than quadrupled over the past year. "There are no quick solutions... We were completely caught off guard collectively, as an industry," he said. China likely produced 60% of all antimony supply in 2024, according to the United States Geological Survey. Much of antimony mined in other countries is also sent to China for added the mineral to its export control list last September, requiring companies to gain licences for each overseas antimony deal. It then followed up in December with an outright ban on shipments to the U.S. - an action seen as retaliatory after Washington further restricted exports of advanced semiconductors to Chinese companies. China's global exports of antimony are now just a third of levels seen this time last year. Christensen said U.S. companies are hugely reliant on China for their supply of antimony and buyers are increasingly having to procure from an emerging "grey market", where sellers that have stocked up on the material are charging extremely high prices. China's restrictions on antimony precede its controls on rare earths and rare earth magnets that were imposed in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and do not appear to have been discussed in last week's efforts to stabilise a truce in trade tensions between the two countries. Last week's talks between China and the U.S. also did not include any agreement on specialised rare earths such as samarium needed for military applications. VULNERABLE Lead-acid batteries, commonly found in gasoline-engine vehicles, are mostly used to start the engine and to power low-voltage instruments. They are also used as sources of backup power in various industries and to store excess energy generated by solar and wind systems. In addition to batteries, antimony is also essential to military equipment such as night vision goggles, navigation systems and ammunition. Overall antimony demand is some 230,000-240,000 tonnes a year with lead-acid batteries accounting for about a third of that, according to consultancy Project Blue. While many battery makers may have access to antimony-lead alloy from recycled materials, Project Blue estimates they collectively need around 10,000 tonnes a year of higher purity antimony to top up the alloy to reach the right battery properties. Securing that additional portion could be challenging. Project Blue director Nils Backeberg said there is enough antimony outside China to satisfy non-Chinese demand but buyers need to compete with Chinese purchasers such as the country's huge solar industry, and China's smelters are able to offer better terms. "With antimony prices at nearly 5x normal market conditions, the cost becomes a factor and with supply limited on the Western market, a shortage is being felt," he said. For now, it seems that battery makers' antimony woes have not yet led to cuts in output, with companies like Germany's Hoppecke saying they have managed to pass on higher costs. Japan's GS Yuasa said it has passed on costs to some customers and is negotiating with more of its customers to do so. One source at an Indian battery maker said antimony represented only a small cost of a battery and price increases were being passed onto customers, but any more price rises could spell trouble. "If the price does increase further, everyone (in the industry) will be vulnerable," said the source who was not authorised to speak to the media and declined to be identified. The companies and the source at the Indian battery maker declined to disclose the size of their product price hikes. In a sign that profits are being affected, India's Exide Industries blamed high prices for antimony when it logged smaller-than-expected income for its fourth quarter. Christensen of the Responsible Battery Coalition said policymakers should treat the issue as one of national security, arguing that Western countries had become "overly reliant on a single geopolitical adversary for minerals foundational to both national defense and civilian life." "For the U.S., the path forward must include onshoring processing capacity, scaling domestic recycling, and building strategic mineral alliances with trusted partners. Otherwise, this crisis will repeat itself again and again," he added. Some baby steps towards building an antimony supply chain outside of China are being taken. Clarios, owned by global investment firm Brookfield, said last month it was scouting locations for an up to $1 billion critical minerals processing and recovery plant in the U.S. that will extract antimony among other minerals. Nyrstar, owned by global commodity trader Trafigura, also said last month it could produce antimony at its South Australian metals processing plant but would need government support to do so. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
