[News] Battery Makers Hit Hard as Antimony Prices Reportedly Quadruple Following China Export Crackdown

According to a report from Reuters, China’s restrictions on the critical mineral antimony are starting to impact global lead-acid battery manufacturers, with customers also feeling the pain as soaring procurement costs are passed down the supply chain.

Citing Steve Christensen, executive director of the U.S.-based Responsible Battery Coalition—which counts battery makers Clarios and Honda among its members—the report states that antimony now exceeds $60,000 per metric ton, more than quadruple its price a year ago, posing a major challenge for the battery industry.

Reuters points out that U.S. companies remain heavily reliant on China for their antimony supply. The U.S., which lacks commercial antimony mining, consumes around 22,000 metric tons of the metal each year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2024 Mineral Commodity Summaries, as cited by The Korea Herald.

As Reuters highlights, China’s global exports of antimony have fallen to just one-third of the levels recorded at the same time last year.

For now, battery makers’ antimony challenges have not resulted in production cuts, since companies have reportedly passed some of the added costs on to customers and are in talks with others to do the same, as Reuters indicates.

China’s Grip on Antimony Supply

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that China produced around 60% of the world’s antimony supply in 2024, as noted by Reuters. In addition, Reuters also points out that much of the antimony mined elsewhere is shipped to China for processing.

Beijing added antimony to its export control list last September, requiring licenses for all overseas shipments, and in December imposed a full export ban to the U.S.—a move that preceded its rare earth and magnet curbs, according to Reuters. Notably, antimony also appear to have been left out of last week’s talks aimed at easing trade tensions between the two countries, the report highlights.

Seeking Alternatives: Global Companies Look to Reduce Antimony Reliance

While China continues to dominate the global antimony supply, early efforts to establish alternative supply chains are gaining momentum. As noted by Reuters, leading U.S. battery maker Clarios announced last month that it is exploring domestic sites for antimony extraction.

In addition, Korea Zinc, South Korea’s top non-ferrous metal producer, announced on June 16 that it had completed its first antimony export to the U.S., according to The Korea Herald.

As Reuters notes, lead-acid batteries—commonly used in gasoline-powered vehicles—also serve as backup power sources across industries for solar and wind systems. Beyond batteries, antimony is crucial for military equipment, including night vision goggles, navigation systems, and ammunition, the report adds.

Read more

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(Photo credit: Clarios)