Korea Zinc exports first shipment of antimony to the U.S.

(Korea Zinc)

South Korean non-ferrous metal smelting company Korea Zinc Co. began exporting antimony, a strategic mineral used in the defense industry, to the United States.

The company said on Monday that it loaded 20 tons of antimony onto a cargo ship bound for Baltimore, Maryland, from Busan Port on the previous day. The export is valued at around $1.2 million, given that the current market price of antimony is approximately $60,000 per ton.

This is Korea Zinc’s first direct antimony export to the United States and marks a significant opening of trade channels, although the volume is relatively small. The shipment was produced at Korea Zinc’s smelter in Onsan and represents the only domestically produced antimony in Korea. It is expected to arrive in Baltimore in July 2025.

Korea Zinc plans to export 100 tons of antimony to the United States in 2025 and gradually increase the volume to 240 tons next year.

The product will be delivered to Company A, a major U.S. antimony importer, which will in turn supply more than ten companies in strategic sectors including defense, aerospace, and semiconductors, according to the Korean smelting company. Company A has a strong network in the U.S. defense sector, raising expectations for the establishment of a stable U.S. supply chain.

Antimony is used in armor-piercing rounds, semiconductors, and military-grade electronic equipment, among other strategic applications. Its importance has grown as China recently tightened export and technology controls related to the mineral.

Korea Zinc’s export aligns with U.S. efforts to reduce reliance on China for critical supply chains and supports the Korean government’s economic diplomacy aimed at building a Korea-U.S. strategic minerals hub. The United States currently relies on China for over 60 percent of its antimony imports, while Korea Zinc produced a total of 3,500 tons of antimony in 2024.