EL7.AI
CommoditiesHigh ImpactUpdated•Originally published 14 March 2026•Updated 14 March 2026•
1 min read

China Shuts Down Canada's Key Antimony Mine Amid Strategic Supply Squeeze

Key Facts

1China's Hunan Nonferrous Metals owns Canada's Beaver Brook mine, the largest potential North American producer of antimony, and shuttered it in early 2023.
2Antimony prices surged from approximately $5,900 per tonne to over $50,000 following Beijing's export controls.
3Antimony is a critical mineral for defense industries, used in ammunition, night-vision goggles, and missile seekers.

China's Hunan Nonferrous Metals has shuttered the Beaver Brook mine in Canada, North America's largest potential producer of antimony, effectively neutralizing a key Western supply source. The move preceded strict export controls from Beijing, which triggered a massive price surge for the mineral from $5,900 to over $50,000 per tonne. Antimony is classified as a critical mineral for the defense sector, essential for manufacturing ammunition, night-vision equipment, and missile seekers. Geopolitical analysts view the shutdown as a calculated effort by China to tighten its global monopoly and limit the military capabilities of Western nations. Major defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Raytheon (RTX), now face significant supply chain risks and rising production costs. This strategic maneuver underscores the growing vulnerability of Western defense infrastructure to disruptions in the critical minerals market.