China's Export Control on Antimony and Other Items Has Attracted Attention

Global Times 2024-08-17 06:46 Beijing

To safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, on August 15, China's Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement, deciding to implement export controls on antimony and superhard materials from September 15, and no export will be allowed without permission. According to the announcement, the controlled items include antimony ore and raw materials, metallic antimony and products, antimony compounds, and related smelting and separation technologies. Applications for export of the above-mentioned controlled items must state the end user and end use. Among them, the export items that have a significant impact on national security will be reported to the State Council for approval by the Ministry of Commerce in conjunction with relevant departments. 

According to a report from China Merchants Securities, antimony is widely used in manufacturing lead-acid batteries, photovoltaic equipment, semiconductors, flame retardants, far-infrared devices, and military products, and is called "industrial MSG". In particular, antimonide semiconductor materials have broad application prospects in military and civilian fields such as lasers and sensors. Among them, in the military field, it can be used to produce ammunition, infrared-guided missiles, nuclear weapons, night vision goggles, etc. Antimony is highly scarce. The currently discovered antimony reserves can only meet global use for 24 years, far less than the 433 years of rare earths and 200 years of lithium. Due to its scarcity, wide application, and certain military attributes, the United States, the European Union, China, and other countries have listed antimony as a strategic mineral resource. Data show that global antimony production is mainly concentrated in China, Tajikistan, and Turkey, with China accounting for as much as 48%. The Hong Kong "South China Morning Post" said that the US International Trade Commission once stated that antimony is a mineral vital to economic and national security. According to a 2024 report by the United States Geological Survey, in the United States, the main uses of antimony include the production of antimony-lead alloys, ammunition, and flame retardants. Of the antimony ore and its oxides imported by the United States from 2019 to 2022, 63% came from China.

It is for the above reasons that China's export control on antimony by international practice has attracted great attention from foreign media. Some reports speculate that this is a countermeasure taken by China against the United States and other Western countries for geopolitical purposes. Bloomberg News in the United States said that the United States is considering unilaterally restricting China's ability to obtain artificial intelligence storage chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. As the US government escalates its chip blockade against China, Beijing's restrictions on key minerals are seen as a tit-for-tat response to the United States. According to Radio France Internationale, competition between Western countries and China is intensifying, and controlling the export of this metal may cause problems for Western countries' industries.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce of China said on the 15th that it is an internationally accepted practice to impose export controls on items related to antimony and superhard materials. The relevant policies are not targeted at any specific country or region. Exports that comply with relevant regulations will be permitted. The spokesperson emphasized that the Chinese government is determined to maintain world peace and stability in the surrounding areas, ensure the security of the global industrial chain and supply chain, and promote the development of compliant trade. At the same time, it opposes any country or region using controlled items from China to engage in activities that undermine China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests. 

Li Haidong, an expert on American issues at the China Foreign Affairs University, said in an interview with the Global Times on the 16th that after long-term mining and export, the scarcity of antimony has become increasingly prominent. By licensing its export, China can protect this strategic resource and safeguard national economic security, while also continuing to ensure the security and stability of the global antimony industry chain. In addition, because antimony can be used in weapons production, China has placed special emphasis on the end users and uses of antimony exports to prevent it from being used in military wars, which is also a manifestation of China's fulfillment of its international non-proliferation obligations. Export control of antimony and clarifying its final destination and use will help safeguard China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests.