Korea Zinc, one of the world’s leading non-ferrous metal producers, announced Monday that it has made its first export of antimony, a key material used in electronics and defense manufacturing, to the United States.
A total of 20 tons of antimony produced at Korea Zinc’s Ulsan plant was shipped on Sunday aboard a cargo vessel bound for Baltimore, Maryland.
Upon arrival, the shipment will be distributed to around 10 US-based industrial clients, including companies involved in the production of armor-piercing ammunition, military electronic equipment and ballast systems for submarines, the company said.
Antimony, typically recovered as a byproduct of lead smelting, is primarily used in flame retardants, lead-based alloys, and advanced electronic and defense applications, such as infrared detectors and missile guidance systems, owing to its fire-retardant and alloy-strengthening properties.
Due to its strategic importance, countries including Korea, the US and China classify antimony as a strategic mineral and maintain national stockpiles.
The shipment was part of a short-term contract, but Korea Zinc stated that it intends to pursue similar agreements to build long-term relationships with US companies.
The company expects to export 100 tons of antimony to the US this year and plans to increase the volume to 240 tons annually starting next year. It is also considering expanding its current production capacity, which stands at 3,500 tons per year.
With this move, Korea Zinc aims to position itself as an alternative supplier to China, which accounted for 60 percent of US antimony imports last year.
The US, which has no commercial antimony mining, consumes approximately 22,000 metric tons of the metal annually, according to the US Geological Survey’s 2024 Mineral Commodity Summaries.
Amid rising tensions between the two countries, however, China began restricting antimony exports in September, prompting the US to seek alternative supply sources.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
