Korea Zinc has exported 'antimony,' a core material in the defense industry, to the United States for the first time. Until now, the United States has relied heavily on China, importing over 60% of its antimony from there.
On the 16th, Korea Zinc noted that it had shipped 20 tons of antimony to a cargo ship bound for Baltimore, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. The shipped mineral is expected to arrive in the United States next month. It will be supplied to about 10 corporations, including major defense corporations in the U.S. through local vendors.
Korea Zinc plans to expand its client base in the future, conducting spot transactions and price negotiations while pursuing long-term contracts with U.S. corporations. This year, the export volume to the U.S. is at the level of 100 tons, and next year, it is expected to send over 240 tons, at a rate of 20 tons per month.
Antimony is one of 28 core minerals designated by the Special Act on National Resource Security in Korea. It is primarily used in batteries and semiconductors, and in the defense sector, it is utilized in manufacturing radar, satellite positioning systems, alloy for armor-piercing projectiles, high-durability special lead-acid batteries, and submarine ballast.
As of the end of last year, China accounted for 60% (60,000 tons) of global antimony production. Korea Zinc is the only corporation in Korea with the technology to produce high-purity antimony with a purity of 99.95%. Last year, it exported 3,500 tons of antimony.