Annual global production (2024)
Antimony
Contested, security-relevant, and indispensableWhat is antimony?
Antimony is a brittle, silvery-grey metalloid that occurs only in small quantities in the Earth’s crust and is mostly extracted from the mineral stibnite. Despite its unassuming appearance, it plays a far greater role in modern technologies than many realize. Antimony trioxide, one of its most common compounds, is particularly important and is used as a flame retardant in plastics, electronic housings, and textiles. With the global demand for electronics and renewable energy technologies rising, the pressure on the supply situation is also increasing.
Several EU commodity analyses classify antimony as a critical commodity, as Europe is almost entirely dependent on imports. At the same time, demand is increasing: Antimony ensures stability, safety and heat resistance in batteries, cable insulation and printed circuit boards. It is becoming particularly important in the area of the energy transition, as modern power grids, photovoltaic inverters and wind power control systems rely on components containing antimony.
Facts about antimony
Estimated increase in demand
Global reserves
Main Applications
- Hardening of lead and tin alloys
- Ammunition production
- Flame retardants for textiles and electronics
- Lead-acid batteries
- Solar glass for photovoltaics
- Semiconductors (e.g., indium antimonide) for faster transistors and infrared sensors
- Refining agent and pigment additive for special glasses (e.g., displays)
- Pigments for colored glazes
- Catalyst for the production of polyester (PET)
- Safety matches
Price Development
Due to its limited availability and heavy dependence on imports, antimony is considered a particularly critical commodity. In recent years, there have been repeated significant price fluctuations, primarily because China controls the majority of global production. At the same time, demand is constantly increasing, particularly due to the growing use of antimony trioxide in flame retardants, electronics and batteries. The German raw materials agency DERA points out that demand could grow significantly faster than global refined sugar production in the future – a scenario that is likely to lead to bottlenecks and further price increases in the long term.
Wo kommt Antimon vor?
The main antimony-producing countries are China (around 60% of global production), Tajikistan and Russia. This means that China not only dominates global production, but also controls almost all global refining. The sulphide mineral stibnite (Sb₂S₃), which has an antimony content of around 72%, is of particular economic importance. The largest deposit in the world is located in the Chinese province of Hunan. There are also deposits worth mining in Tajikistan, Russia, Bolivia, Myanmar and Australia. There are hardly any significant resources or processing stages in Europe.
Antimony - key material for industry and safety
The geopolitical and industrial importance of antimony is particularly evident in its function as a defense metal: For example, the US Defense Logistics Agency is building up large national reserves to secure supplies for the military and critical infrastructure. Australia also counts antimony as one of its three most important critical commodities and is planning strategic stockpiling.
Antimony is risky for the western world because almost two thirds of production comes from China and global refining is almost entirely controlled there. Tajikistan and Russia are other important suppliers, but are considered uncertain partners in geopolitically tense times. There are hardly any independent refineries outside Asia – a strategic supply risk for Europe and the USA.
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