China's imports of other antimony ores and concentrates saw a sharp 45.2% decline MoM in May [reported by SMM]

On June 23, according to SMM, customs data showed that China's imports of other antimony ores and concentrates reached 2,322.35 mt in May 2025, representing a significant MoM decline of 45.2% from the 4,238.98 mt imported in April. Market participants indicated that the substantial reduction in imported antimony ore was reasonable given the recent pullback in antimony market prices. This has led to a prolonged tightness in imported antimony raw materials, coupled with domestic mines' reluctance to sell, resulting in most large antimony producers in major producing regions currently operating with relatively low raw material inventory levels. This situation has also caused many manufacturers in the market to halt production or implement production cuts.