One of the most important metals for combat purposes is antimony. And it’s about to become a lot more scarce.
What’s happening:
- The government of China has announced they will be significant limiting the exportation of antimony for the first time ever
The big idea:
- Antimony is a critical metal used primarily for military purposes and is an important material input for the manufacturing of grenades, ammunition and even night vision goggles
- The occurrence of antimony in its natural state is more rare than tin, arsenic and other rare earth metals globally
Why it matters:
- China’s recent ban of antinomy exports will dramatically accelerate the importance of finding North American based supply of antimony for both the United States and Canada’s military forces
By the numbers:
- China produces approximately 48% of all the antimony supply globally
- About 90% of all the antimony supply globally comes from China, Russia and Tajikistan
Who is making moves:
- Perpetua Resources (TSX: PPTA) is one of the few publicly traded companies who is advancing a antimony mining project, which has received backing from both the Pentagon and the Export-Import Bank of The United States
Going deeper:
- China has also slowly been reducing the exportation of other important metals and minerals including gallium, which is an essential input for semiconductor manufacturing and has led to the Pentagon offering contracts to any North American based company who can provide a reliable supply of domestic gallium
