Beijing (Reuters) – Unusually large quantities of antimony – metal used in batteries, chips and flames – have been poured into the United States from Thailand and Mexico since China blocked US supplies last year, according to customs and shipping records, which are at least one company owned by China,
China dominates the delivery of antimony as well as to Galius and Germany used in telecommunications, semiconductors and military technology. Beijing banned the export of these minerals to the United States on December 3 after Washington’s repression for the Chinese chip sector.
The resulting change in commercial flows emphasizes the struggle for critical minerals and China’s struggle to impose its curbs, as it agrees with the United States as economic, military and technological supremacy.
Moreover, commercial data illustrate the redirection of consignments in the United States through third countries – admitted that Chinese employees have admitted.
Three experts in the industry have confirmed this assessment, including two executives in two US companies who have told Reuters that they have received limited minerals from China in recent months.
The United States has imported 3834 metric tonnes of antimony oxides from Thailand and Mexico between December and April, US customs data show. It was more than almost the previous three years combined.
Meanwhile, Thailand and Mexico launched the three best export markets for Chinese antimony this year, according to Chinese customs data in May. None of them made the top 10 in 2023, the last full year before Beijing restricted exports.
Thailand and Mexico have a single antitrust meal, according to the consulting RFC Ambian, and the latter is only open in April. None of the mineral mines of metal.
The American imports of antimony, Galius and Germany this year is about to equal or exceed the levels before the ban, albeit at higher prices.
Ram Ben Zion, co -founder and executive director of the Publican Digital Digital Suppliers Platform, said that although there is clear evidence of transfer, commercial data does not allow the identification of participating companies.
“This is a model we see and this model is consistent,” he told Reuters. Chinese companies, he added, were “super creative in the surrounding regulations”.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in May that unspecified overseas organizations had “agreed with the internal offenders of the law” to avoid their export restrictions and that the suspension of such activity was essential for national security. This did not answer Reuters questions about the change of commercial flows from December.
The US Department of Commerce, Thailand Ministry and the Mexico Ministry of Economy did not answer such questions.
The US Act does not prohibit US buyers from buying antitism of Chinese origin, Galius or Germany. Chinese companies can send minerals to countries other than US if they have a license.
Levi Parker, CEO and founder of US -based GALLANT METALS, told Reuters how it receives about 200 kg of Galius a month from China without identifying the participating countries due to the potential consequences.
First, buying agents in China receive materials from manufacturers. The shipping company then routes the packages, recharges differently such as iron, zinc or artistic reserves, through another Asian state, he said.
The solutions are not perfect or cheap, Parker said. He said he would like to carry 500 kg regularly, but large shipments risk making control, and Chinese logistics companies are “very careful” because of the risks.
Quick trade
Thai Unipet Industries, based in Thailand, a Chinese subsidiary of Antimony manufacturer Youngsun Chemicals, has been fast trade with the United States in recent months, previously undeclared shipping records reviewed by Reutes Show.
Unipet supplied at least 3 366 tonnes of antimony products from Thailand to the United States between December and May, according to 36 cargo loads recorded by commercial platforms Importyeti and Export Genius. It was about 27 times more than the volume that Unipet delivered in the same period a year earlier.
The records are listed loading, participating countries and ports of origin and receiving, but not necessarily the origin of the raw material. They do not show specific evidence of Transit.
Thai Unipet could not be reached for comment. When Reuters called a number listed for the company in one of the delivery records, a person who replied, said the number did not belong to Unipet. Reuters sends questions to Unipet’s registered address but did not receive an answer. Unipet’s parent, Youngsun Chemicals, did not answer questions about US shipments.
The buyer of UNIPET’s American shipments was Texas-based Youngsun & Essen, who, before the ban on Beijing, brought most of his anti-mane trioxide from young chemicals. Neither Youngsun & Essen nor his President Jimmy Song answered questions about imports.
China launched a campaign in May against the transfer and smuggling of critical minerals.
Violators may encounter fines and prohibitions on future exports. Serious cases can also be treated as smuggling and lead to a prison for more than five years, before Reuters James Hsiao, based in Hong Kong, White & Case.
Laws are applied to Chinese companies even when transactions are performed abroad, he said. In the case of transfer, Chinese authorities may pursue sellers who fail to perform a sufficiently duly diligence to determine the end user, Hsiao added.
However, for anyone who wants to take the risk, big profits are available abroad, where the shortage has sent prices for Galius, Germany and Antimon in records.
The three minerals have already been subject to export licensing, when China banned China’s exports to antimony and germanium, is still below the levels affected before the restrictions, according to Chinese customs customs.
Beijing is now facing a challenge to ensure that the export control regime has teeth, Ben Tion said.
“While they have all these policies, their implementation is a completely different scenario,” he said.
(Reporting Alessandro Parodi in Gdansk, Poland, Lewis Jackson in Beijing, Ashita Shivaprasad and Sherin Elizabeth Vargaza in Bengaluru; additional reporting from Orahai Urring in Bangkok and Potima Desi in London; Edit by David Krashow.
