China's export controls on antimony and other items draw attention
2024-08-17
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In order to safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, on August 15, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement, deciding to implement export controls on antimony and superhard material related items from September 15, and no exports will be allowed without permission.According to the announcement, the controlled items include antimony ore and raw materials, metal antimony and products, antimony compounds and related smelting and separation technologies, etc. 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 together with relevant departments.According to a report by China Merchants Securities, antimony is widely used in the manufacture of lead-acid batteries, photovoltaic equipment, semiconductors, flame retardants, far-infrared devices and military products, and is known as "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 extremely 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, and China have all listed antimony as a strategic mineral resource. Data shows that global antimony production is mainly concentrated in China, Tajikistan and Turkey, with China accounting for as much as 48%.Hong Kong's South China Morning Post said that the US International Trade Commission had stated that antimony is a mineral that is vital to economic and national security. According to a 2024 report by the US Geological Survey, the main uses of antimony in the United States 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 controls on antimony in accordance with international practice have 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 reported that the United States is considering unilaterally restricting China's ability to obtain artificial intelligence memory 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. Radio France Internationale said that as competition between Western countries and China continues to intensify, controlling the export of this metal could cause problems for Western industries.The spokesperson of 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 stressed that the Chinese government is determined to safeguard world peace and stability in neighboring regions, 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. Controlling the export of antimony and clarifying its final destination and use will help effectively safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. (Ni Hao)▲
