The prices of some strategic minerals have soared in China over the past year, as a wave of protectionist policies – many of them initiated by Beijing – spark a global scramble to lock down resources.
The growing international competition is disrupting global supply chains and causing the prices of some minerals to soar, analysts said.
Over the past 180 days, the price of antimony ingots has surged by more than 21.8 per cent in China, while prices in Rotterdam have jumped by 32.85 per cent, according to data from Asia Metals.
The antimony market is expected to remain strained for the near future, Huacheng Securities analysts wrote in a report on Sunday.
“Supplies are tight and many countries, including China and the United States, have listed it as a strategic metal,” they said.
