On September 15, China will impose limits on antimony exports, citing national security concerns. Given that China supplies about half of the world’s antimony and the US lacks a domestic source, this move has significant ramifications.

“Today’s news should set off alarm bells everywhere,” said Perpetua Resources president and CEO Jon Cherry on Thursday.

“China is weaponising the world’s access to critical minerals, and it’s never been more urgent to secure the United States’ critical mineral supply,” he stated.

“For a vast, secure source of American-made antimony, Perpetua Resources’ Stibnite gold project is the clear solution.”

The Stibnite project, in Idaho, boasts a reserve of 4.8-million ounces of gold and an eye-watering 148-million pounds of antimony, making it one of the largest reserves of antimony not under Chinese influence.
 
The Stibnite project, Cherry confirmed, was on track for a final record of decision by the end of 2024.

As China exerts its control over global antimony supplies, Perpetua Resources stands ready to provide the antimony we need to secure America’s national defense and clean energy future.”

Antimony trisulphide is essential to national defence as a key component for munitions and to clean energy technology applications, yet no domestic mined supply currently exists. China, Russia and Tajikistan control 90% of the global antimony supply chain.

The proposed Stibnite project is designed to re-establish a US source of the critical mineral antimony as a by-product of one of the highest-grade openpit gold resources in the US and to provide environmental restoration to the historical mining site. 

However, the project has faced several forms of opposition, primarily from environmental and community groups. Critics of the Stibnite project argue that it could impact local ecosystems, they also express concerns about potential toxic pollution from mining operations, including the risk of acid mine drainage, and question whether the project will effectively address and remediate existing environmental damage from previous mining activities at the site.