A SURVEY OF THE WORLD ANTIMONY SITUATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01617A005700010009-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 71
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2013
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 2, 1978
• Content Type: REPORT

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RICORD ONIL
A SURVEY OF THE IVOR1.2)
ANTIMONY SITUATION'
Dticument
N CHANGE in class, _E]
DECLASSIFIED
ss. CHANGED TO: TS
DDA Memo'i 4 Apr 77"
Awpa: DDA REG. 7 176S
,340414 Ay;
?
L.c
1O RT)
TO
k ELDG.
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compTiazioN or DATA.REGARDING
THE WORLD ANTIMONY SITUATION
Note.; .This paper Is merely a factual summary of information reopiVea
from a variety of sources, without any attempt at interpreta-
tion of the data. .Dissemination in this form Is made for the
benefit of cOntribUtors and other agenCiOs of the government
having A legitimate interest in facts concerning the World
antimony situation.
by
Office of Reports-and Estimates
Central Intelligence Agency
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COMPILATION OF DATA REGARDING
XXXEMEXIEVHE WORLD ANTIMONY SITUATION
TABLE 07 CONTENTS
Acknowledgments and references . .
Summary
? 6. ? .
World reserves ? gi ? e ? ? ? ? ..
Smelting Industry '4 .....? ? fo ?
Technology a . ? . ....... . ?
Uses . ... ? ? .
Substitutes . . ........ 0
Position of the United States . . . . . .
,
Domestic Consumption
Deposits in the United States
Secondary Antimony
Foreign trade
Tariff ?
.
'Prices
?
?
?
?
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..
2
..
6
8
.?
?
?
?
? 10
.
10
.
.
12
?
?
?
18
?19
20
20
Present -Situation and Future Odtlook
-Emergendy'SUpply and Demand
Major World Producers
_China . . . . .. .
Bolivia ? ? ?
Mexico ? ? .
Minor World Producers
Peru .
Argentina .
'? ?
?
? ?
?
214.,
. 24
? 28 ,
37
?
46
. 55
. 56
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Honduras .
Canada .
0
? ?
?
?
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.
56
57
:Union of South Africa
0
0
S 0
?
?
I
?
0
57
Australia.
0
..
?
?
...
?
0
58
Yugoslavia ?
?
59
Czechoslovakia
?
? ?
59
Italy
Italy
.
60
Austria'
.
?
.
60
Frande
.
60
Algeria
?
?
0 ?
61
Spain ?
?
?
?
?
61
Turkey
..
.
.
0
?
?
61
Japan
62
USSR 0 ? ? 0
0
? I
?
a
?
62
TABLES
1 - World production of antimony, 1939-48, by countries . . .
,
2 - Estimated antimony reserves of the principal produc-
ing countries as of 1901 . ? ? ? . ?
3 - Statistical review of antimony in the United States
?
?
?
1938-48 . ? ? ? ? . . ? ? ?? .
?
?
?
. 15
4 - Industrial consw-gpti,mn of primary anticiony, 1938-48
.
16
5 - Antimony reserves in the United Statesdas of 1944 ?
?
19
6 - Antimony imported into the United States, 1938-48, by
countries . 9 ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6 ? ?
?
?
0
. 21
7 - United States preliminary statistics for 1948
?
. 25
8 - Estimated US antimony requirements and supply under
' Emergency conditions . . . . . -0
?
..
26
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9.7 Estimated reserves of antimony in China by deposits
10 - Bolivia Exports of antimony concentrates bY
countries, 1938,-48 0 . ? ? ?
. 11 - Reserves of the Antimonio district, Sonora ?
? Reserves of the TJOS Tejecetes mines, Qaxaca
l!TAFS
1 - China Antimony deposits
Index
2? Bolivia 7 Antimony deposits
Index
?
3 ? Mexico ? Antimony deposits
Index
' ? ?
? ? - ? ?
?
?
? ?
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?
34
?
42
47
47
463
44
I ?
?
52
.
U53
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND REFERENCES
Special acknowledgment is made here to the
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iBureau of Mines for manyihelpfuf suggestions in the prepara-
\
tier' of this report.
2
Information was gathered from the Minerals yearbooks,
annual editions of Metal :Statistics, iSsues of London Mining
Journal African World, ngineering and Miningi Journal, Mining
and Metallurgy South African Mining Journal and Mineral Trade
Notes, 1940 - 1947. '
jData, were also obtained frum files of the Foreign
Minerals Division U.'S.,Bureau of Mines; U. S. Geological
Survey; Reports of Supreme Command Allies in the Pacific;
Consular reports of the Department of State;;and reports
of the ForeignEconomic Administration.
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SUMMARY
There are only three major producers of attimony ore:. Chins?
Bolivia and T'e iCO, with' ChinaJbaving the bulk of the world's
reser*es The lsrge consumers of sntimnny are the industrialized
nations, namely the US, USSR, UK,. France, Belgium, elq1D9M,
? and, formerly, Germany. 411-nfthe consuming countries have, smelt-
ing industries.. Control of the smelters and the deposits is held
by nationals of the respective countries,
except in Mexico where
the Natipnal Lead COMpany control's the industry.
World production has varied considerably daring the last 50
y -ars. maximum r)utout was in 1916 When more that 80,000 tont were
produced under the impetus of a. shrapnel war. New highs since
1916 were r gistered during World War II with th peak.year 1943
when about (53,200 tons were produced. The world output fell to
25,400 tons An 1946, the lOWest tpnnsg since the: early thirties.
The decr-ase it Production was due to rising costs, labor diffi7
culties and s fear of-overproductAnn. The greet droP in nonsump-
tion, xPected when the wax ended, did not tske place, supplies
:became short, and the New York price rose until it reached am
time peak Of 41.67 cents (Yew York.December 1948 price) .Compared
?to a fixed price of 15.84 cent S in .1944-45 and 12 cents-in-1939.
FUTE:. 'The term ton' in this report refers tn s metric tom of
2204,6 pounds. World production figures are reported in
;terms of recoversble antimbny Content (92 percent of total
content; in accordance with:US Bureau of Mins procedure.
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terindically, the Yetional Leal Conipemy has raid its price
? thereby effecting en inarease it the world markt pricP. In
December 1948 Chinese antimnty waS Quoted t i78.50 cents, duty
paid Yew York, wbidh Was phnut thr P cents pPr Pound less than
ratinnal Lead Cnmpany's pride in New York.. Imports of metal from
Chita :decreased in 1948'. 'Hnwever,:as a rPsult of increased imports
of ores and anncentrates from Peru Bolivia end' Mexic0,:bnth
Government and industry stocks increaSed in 1948 with supplies
beginning to exceed demand,
China dotitated the world's antimony industry before the
Japanese invasion in 1937 by.supplying about two?thirds of the
world's requirements. The industry wasravagPd by war, 9mA the
Ick Of edonomic stability crUpled with a shortage of nperating.
equipment are hindering nperatinns It will be some time before
prnductinn can reach prewar levels.
With Chita out off as a. snurpe of antimnny, Bolivia and Mexicn
have becnme
the principal sources of supply. Bolivia was the
Principal producer until 1944 when cancellation of thP United State
over?ell purchase agreement caused 9 significant decrease it pro?
duction. In 1946 Bolivia regained?European market6,. theraby'repled?
ing Mexico as the prindipel prnducer. ,Peru is producing antimony in
increasing qUantities. The building of the Laredni Texas, smelter
and the US tariff on antimony metal are the fACV,r6 retpnnsible for
Mexico's pnsiti. n as the chief US supplier.. SubSidiaries of the
National Lad ? Com-any dontrOl MexicOs present prndUd:tion.
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The US id an iMportant producer in the l'Testern Hemisphere. -
The oUtput comes mainly frbm the Yellow Pine mine in Idaho 'where
antimony Was found assodiated with gold and tlIngsten. Reserves
are not large and Self-sufficiency is far 'from possible under any
conditions. In 1946 domestic mine production accounted for 14
percent of the primary antimony consumed; in 1947 for about 32
percent, and:in 1948 for 42 percent. '
Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia,. and Hungary shirped substantial
tonnages of antimony to GermanY during the war. Production figures
for the USSR have not been reported but several deposits are in
production and self:-sufficieneyid possible, and may alreaiY have
been attained. The Union ofSouth Africa annually produces more
than 2,000 tots Of antimony Contained in concentrates recovered
from gold ores of the Murchiton Range. All but a few tons are:
exported to the UK. US 5upPlies of priMary antimony have been
short despite a price more than double that of war :years but,,
increased supplies from Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and the US are
enabling the US to Meet requirements. Most of Mexico's produc-
tion is imported into the US.
During 1948 the UK took a substantial Portion of Boliviats
production, however, the US received the major share (3,003 metric'
,tons ofcontaited antimony) with &nailer portions going to other
European countries, Approximately 6,100 tons (antimony content) '
.were mined in the US and 7,900:tons imported from Mexicb, thus,
supplies Will begin to.exceed US demand in 1949 unless the stock-
pile program is revised. About 20,000 tops of avpilable secondary
antimony will meet all seCondary requirements.
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The USSR received shipments of at least 1,000 tons of antimony
and tungsten from China in 1948, and probably will receive additional
shipments during 1949. It is believed that production of_antimonY in
the USSR is possibly sufficient for present reouirements but could
not meet a sudden increase in ?demand Therefore, the USSR may have
a definite stockpile program for_antimety, such as they appear- to
have initiated with tungsten, as a strategic reserve in an emergency. -
The capacity of Hungaryi Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia is estimated
at about 1.1,000 metric tons annually. Important quantities of
'antimonial lead scrap have been shipped to the USSR from Germany
and the Satellite countries.
In the eVent of a future emergency about 46,000 tons annually
would be required to meet US consumption
ApproxiMatelY 23,50.0 tone could
be produced domestically from secondary antimony, domestic mines,
?
and as a by-product Pf lead ores. -: About 22,500 tons ipuld need to
? be imported, of which Nexico could supply 8,-000 to 10,000 ?tons
BeliVia, 12,000:tensand Peru, under-very favorable conditions,
1,500 tons-. As a protection against labor and transport difficul-
ties, at least a yearrs supply of primary antiMohy. (27,000 tons)
should be steckpiled:to Maintain a conStant flOW to consumers. If
an acute shortage should develop, expoi-ts of Bolivia could be in-
creased quickly by a slight chage in specifications
.-
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'Tab'. 1e 1 - 'World Prbdilction,of Antimony, "1939-48 by Countries 1/
,
' (Co*died by B. B. Mitchell? Bureau of Mines)
(In metric tons)
Country
.1939
1940 S 1941
North *ell. cp.
Canada,
ii4ndur-as
5146'404.Y:
'
.;2.?Olit1iAmeric '
-: .Argentina
'
?
Austria
J.
?'Portugal.
tSpo.izi'f ? -
iYugas26:41a.
? -1k49_,_ry-W,%
'Asia
? ?1--
- aki t
1D? _ s -0.22 ,
? Btrmagf-
?
_
Indochina
-
Turkey (Asia Minor)" :30/
-? *,?ar.1,1
?
'550.V ? 1,083 1,329
'-l1,286 10,2111.
241
328, 7 .412 013
97 -- 91
9,255 ?10,813
775 809
123
13,680
1,
?1;p12 - 645
?102
?.6714 -630
174 r 2147
22 3.
3.759- 5.791
750 ,___ ,
, 163 305
'12,017 -8,469, g
-122 " '
1
0 21.40
*q..25 -Ago ?
?
See ,' footnotes bottom of next mag.
, _
?
o'
.7;989::8
19
,-
,
igo
. 25p:
?1911-2
1943
1q1?
'1911.5.?
. 19)46
2 , 1947
19)48
1,269
103 .
1465
110
$09
696
'
. ,
-286 _
- ' 8
.
4go.
-
124
. 5
10,759
12,585
?10,056
8,053,
.-
6,o146
?
6,3i'.'6,'790
? 2;457
4,638
'3,952
-1,611?
?
2,091
4,11.37 '
5,1416
\ 100'
71
13
-'16,231
.16,536 ?
.6, 852
?5.093
9,989
11,280
1,457, '
2 472
; 93?
2,041
969
1 140
12770
?
?
3,l30,/
3/
.1,115
? 2,156
1, 434
, -1;593
,
'1?g
153
.116
'153
-202-
, 200
391
571 ?
658
132
' 15
' g2
? ?47
-
'667
, ,522
403
348
:330
)430
.135
115 Ef
39 :?
? .6
5
23.
210
? ? 3.76'
? 128 `.
log -
'96.
814
jL
it
2,200'
5po
t,-160, RV.
?
3 ?
3;510,
? - 78%.
'505
11
18 .
-8 3.
.203
25
:
.58.
:45o
. 54.2
26
-.?66
?,909 3,251
35
36
103
'520
? -'.210
49 ,
100
124
41 gi
104
2
85 ,
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'Table 1 -World Production of Antimony,- 1939-48, by Countries -'Continud
Compiled' by B. B. Mitchell, Bureau of .Mines)
?_.(In:thetric tons)
?Country 1939
Africa: /
,Algeria 246
-)Morocco -
'French i'46o?
_,,ppanl.sh - - 514-
- 'ISouthern Rhodesia 50
titTpiO, of pc)-1,1qi Africa, 6
Oceania
:

,
etralia \ '.419
New
= liey, Zealand .
,Total
\
38,800
3,94.0
194i
4942
1943
194
,
.270
469:
'67'
101
, 126 .
,'4o4
I.' ,
'_397
. ' .,;484.
. 85
-83'''
1045 '..
' ;4;052
- ' ' 8 -
-304
- 322
144
169
?990
. ...
? 1, 0)42
:
,
. '
:
, 902
? _409,
153
? .164
1,560,
,
- '532
-
'
?
170
166
'72
.- 116.
2,570
..
, 454.
. ... ,
46,300
49,000
451,400
.53,266
1945
' ,, ?
423
. -353
,?? 52
29
- 2,250
.
194-6
1947.
1948
,
,
.? ,
-
_,.
.260,
493 _ -
.. 15
2,330
410
. ,
- '390
12g
38
M?0,''
'? 217
411'
'..5./
' 10
3;700
172 :.46o. ?3.2 39,j/
,-..... ,
. ,
26?900 25,400 34,800 .; 141,300
,Approximate-'recoyerable metal -content of ore produced, - exclusive- of antimonial lead oras; 92 percent of reported gross -icontent is used
'
as basis for- ca1culations, in pearly every instance. - -USSR produces antimony but clata, on production are not available. '
, -
f.21 Estimate. ,
. .
1. Date..' not. available; -estimate I.ncluded, in total.' .. -
ilt Includek.antimony-contont of ,antimoriial lead'. ? ,
1P1
,1 'Incfudes 'Spanish 'Morocco., -
? January to June,, inclusive. .
; 41/ Te.ta. represent Trianon Hungary ;subsequent to October 19144;
1,V Data represent -area ,designated as Free 'China" during ;the period of (Japanese o'Ccupation.
. cv
, Fiscal year ended March 20 of year following that stated. ..
Revised data; previously shipments were listed in some cases in lieu of produCtion, data. i
. 44.1/.., 'Including New :South Wales; data not -available., .
1.21 'Esttmat_ed, by the. author. - \ - , t?
?
I.
. -
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TORLD RESERVES
The geological process of deposition of antimony minerals, in general,
is to form Small and irregular ore bodies, thus, an.appraisal of antiMony
ore reserves is difficult and highly speculative unless the deposits are
thoroughly exPlored. The large scale production possible with other ores
is Usually precluded where antimony is concerned because of insufficient
tonnage and most of the world's output is mined by hand. Due 'to the
irregularity and small size of most antimony deposits the cost of advance
deVelopmentito "block out" ore reserves iS not economically possible for
it Often would exceed the cost of mining. :Therefore, little development
is carried out.in advance of the actual mining, the ore bodies being mined
immediately on discovery* For this reason reserve figures on individual
prOperties are rare and estimates on-total reserves are available only in
the case of China and the US where the rejects were financed by government
Besides the output of straight antimony ores, important quantities
are mined from deposits of lead and gold ores. In these deposits it is
economically possible to "block out" reserve's and figures are available,
but the tonnage is relatively unimportant except in the Case of the Yellow
Pine mine in the US and the properties of Consolidated Murchison in the
Union of South Africa where antimony is associated -with gold.
An appraisal of the world's reserves is necessary to predict the
future sources of supply in the event of an emergency and to convey some
idea as td the tonnage available from these sources. Since the only estimates
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available are those of the US and China,- determined by agencies of the
respective governments, the writerhas compiled a table reporting his
estimates of the reserves of other countries as a means of indicating the
order of magnitude of the supply that might be mind in the future. The
industry usually is highly competitive and, since only high grade ore can
be mined at a profit in normal years, some mines often are closed down
and reported to be exhausted although large quantities of ore remain that
can be mined profitably at present prices.
TABLE 2 ESTIMATED ANTIMONY RESERVES OF THE PRINCIPAL '
PRODUCING COUNTRIES AS OF 1944
In metric tons ofmetal content
'Country
Metric tons
? Major Producers
.:China ?3,804870
1/
Bolivia
-700,000
'
.,exico
700,000,
Minor Producers
'United nates
103,500
.21
Peru
70,000
'Yugoslavia
100,000
Czechoslovakia
5Q, 000
Union-of South Africa-
80,00
Australia
60,000
USSR
150,000
1/ Geological Survey of China
0 2/ US Bureau of Mines and Geological Survey estimate of antimony
reserves (measured, indicated and inferred) which could be mined
at prices as high as $1,50 per pound).
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SMELTING INDUSTRY
China had the world's largest smelting industry until 1944 when the
Japanese captured Changsha, the city in which most of th,, plants were located,
and demolished many of the plants. ,The-Chinese government is earnestly
trying to? rebuild the' smelters to rehabilitate that country's antimony
industry. The US now haS the largest smelter capacity in the production
of antimony metal and antimony oxide, but UK, Belgium, France, Yugoslavia,
-Germany,:.Italy, Japan Australia and the USSR have smelting capacities
sufficient to meet domestic requirements. Belgium and the UK import
largely Bolivian ore and export most of their production of Metal in normal
years. At this time there is not sufficient information available on the
status of the industry in foreign coUntries to compile a table
covering smelter production and capacities of individual plants. In general,
they Are small, many having ,a capacity of only a ton or so a day, with
makeshift equipment. Plant caPacity in the US is sufficient to meet the
requirement S for antimony metal or compounds, provided. that the ore is
available.
TECHNOLOGY
0
Most antimony ores are deposited at low temperatures and shallow
depths as narrow fissure fillings and erratic replacement deposits. The
ore minerals of straight antimony ores are stibnite, the tri-sulfide of
antimony, and its oxidation products, occurring in small irregular ore
bodies in quartz veins,. Generally the ores range from thr-;e to twelve
per cent antimony with ores from several .Chinese and .Bolivian deposits
exceeding this tenor.
?,10
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Due to the small size and irregularity of most of the deposits, RESTRICTED
they are selectively mined and the ore is hand4;Sorted, very little equipment
being used. In some instances ores and reject of hand-sorting are
)
concentrated in jigs but losses are high a Antimony in some locelities
occurs associated with lead copper, silver or gold ores and is recovered
in the milling or, in the smelting of these Ores: Significant quantities of
antimony also are recovered from flue dust at lead smelters.
. Lower grade antimony ores are usually improved by roasting, thereby
yielding a volatile oxide which may be condensed and sold as such or smelted
to metal. Ore and concentrates containing over 50 per cent sulfide usually
are liquated for the production of crude. Stibnite has a low melting point
which enables it to be drained off from the gangue when it is fused to a
melt, producing liquated antimony sulfide (antimony matte, needle or 'crude).
'Liquation and roasting are' relatively easy and more modern methods of
bencficiation have been little used by the industry.
Antimony metal (r,gulus) is produced by smelting the oxide, the
liquated sulfide (crude) or ore in blast furnaces, reverberatory furnaces
or crucibles. Ores averaging 3o-35 per cent metal, such'as those from
Mexico, are best for direct smelting as they are too high in grade for best
work in roasting and too low for very successful results in liquation.
Liquated sulfide is usually smelted with oxides or reduced to metal )by
fusion with scrap iron in crucible, yielding antimony metal and :a residte
of iron sulfide. Oxide and electrolytic rntimony are recovered from Idaho
lead ores by use of the Lee Muir process which ?senarates the components of
tetrahedrite. Often impurities exceed the one per cant MDXiMUM and the
metal must be refined to remove them. This is done in a reverberetory
furnace or crucible by fusing the metal with an oxidizing slag.
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-Many buyers demand "Starred" ingots because thy believe that
_indicates high purity, though this iS not AlWaye- "Staring" is
produced by cooling the metai bloWly Under 4 specially prepared slag at
. a melting point lower than that of antimony: Special brands of regulus
(antimony metal) exceed 99,6 per cent antimeny and Command a higher price
than ordinary brands of 99 per cent plus.
Metal Produed domestically is cast in ingot S lo by lo by 2i ineheb,
weighing about 56 pounds, packed 4 to the box (224 lbs.) for small consUmers?
10 boxes to the long ton (2240 lbs.).
USES
The chief use of antiMony is to impart hardness and mechanical strength
to lead. It is a "cheap metal" that is frequently-substituted for more
? expensive metals such as tin. In its Pure state the uses of antimony are
limited to castings of a decorative character and as a metal powder to give
a steel-like finish to pottery.
More than half of the antimony consumed during the war and about three-
? fourths of peacetime consumption is used in the metallic state as an alloy,
most often with lead. The strength and hardness imparted to lead by the
addition of 4 to 12 per cent antimony permit the lead to be used for many
purposes not possible in its normally soft state, such as in bullet cores
and shrapnel. The most important uses are in storage battery plates, sheet
and pipe, where resistance to sulfuric acid is required. It is also used
in cable covering and bearing metals where from 3 to 20 per cent of
antimony is alloyed with varying amounts of tin, copper, load and other
metals. Although the tonnage used in type metal is small compared to other
applications, it is extremely important, for antimony imparts to the melt
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the property of expanding n'coolingi thus predUting a very sharp,; clear
type. Many Other alloys :Contain appreciable aMounts of antimony such as
solder, pewter (lead-tin-antiMeny), Brittania metal (lead-antimony-copper),
sterline (copper-antiMeny-zinciron) and CAIierit8 metal (tin-antimony-copper-
zinc).
The principal cempounds of antimony are the oxides and the sulfides.
The chief use for the OXide'during a war, although small in peacetime, is
the treatment orcanvas and other textiles against fire and rotting, and
in fire-retardant paints. The oxides also ard used in the manufacture of
enamels, as a pigment for porcelain and glazed earthernware, and as a
water-resisting paint.
The .oxide and the, sulfide, often are blended to obtain yellowish-red and
dark-brown pigments. The sulfides are used in vulcanization, but cheaper
methods have largely replaced them in rubber coloring. Another Use is in
lining lead chambers for making sulfuric acid. The heads of safety matches
are about three per cent antimony tri7sulfide and the striking surface eight
per cent.
Compounds of antimony are used in dyes, antiseptics, tartar emetic',?
1
furniture -polishes,_ and in fireproofing wood.
In time of war there are several uses -which are of direct military
value besides the industrial uses such as storage batteries cable coverings
and bearing metals which also sdrve military requirements. Shrapnel and
range-finding shells in which the bursting charge produces dense white smoke
contain antimony sulfide and the shrapnel itself is hardened by six to ten
per cent antimony, as are bullet cores. More than 6 500 metric tons of
antimony a year, during soMe war years, was used for flameproofing canvas
, and textiles for military purposes.
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SUBSTITUTES
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There are a limited number of substitutes which could be used in an
emergency but they are much more expensive and diffiCult to obtain at such
a time. Small percentages of calcium can be used in place of antimony in
hard lead alloys for cable coverings, bearing metals and bullet cores.
Smaller quantities of antimony can be used in storage battery plates by
using calcium and bismuth to replace some of the antimony. Cadmium has
replaced antimony to a considerable extent in bearing metals. Tin oxide can
be'used instead of antimony oxide in ceramic enamels while cadmium and
titanium compounds can be used in some pigments. Substitution can be made
also in most other chemical uses.
The difficulty in employing substitutes is that antimony is much the
cheaper in normal times while ift time of war many of the substitutes are
also in short aupply. Important amounts of antimony cat be saved by using
calcium to harden lead but the greater part of antimony. used for this
purpose is recovered from scrap and roquiresthe addition of comparatively
small amounts of primary antimony each year to sweeten the alloy. Much
greater substitution was expected with the rise in price but this has not
resulted to:any great 6xtent.
POSITION OF THE US
Domestic Consumption
Almost half of the antimony consumed in the US has come from scrap
while most of the primary metal is from fgreign ores. The US uinod only
six per cent of the primary antimony consumed in 1938 but domestic mine
output reached 5,040 tons in 1943 accounting for 28 per cent of primary
?
consumption. US consumption of antimony in 1938 was equal to nearly a third
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? %
of world production, in 1946 it exceeded tweLithirds of the world output,
while in 1947 conaumption,WaS approxiMatey one-half Of world production
excluding production from USSR.
Prior to 1938 the Bureau of Mines did. not differentiate consumption
4 ?
?by product but reported the supply available for consumption. Apparent
consumption in 1938 was 18,195 tons .while by 19)41 this figure increased
to a peak of 46,831 tons.
Antimony. ii,as still being consumed at the
wartime rate during 1946, 1947 and 1948 but with a different use pattern.
These changes in consumption by product are reported in table 4. A complete
review of the antimony industry in the US is reported in table 3.
Depesits in the US
From 1940 to. 1948 an average of 'about 16 per cent of the primary
antimony consumed in the US was from domestic antimony ores and concentrates.
Most of the domestic output was mined at the Bradley Mining Company's Yellow
Pine mine at Stibnite, Valley County, Idaho. This property is a moderately
large low
tungsten
bodywas
grade gold-antimony deposit from which substantial quantities of
ores H(scheelite) were mined. during the war,
exhausted and mining and milling operations
to gold and antimony in 1946.
but the scheelite ore
were changed entirely
The Bureau of Mines and Geological Survey Carried out prospecting and
exploration work on antimony deposits during the war in attempts to evaluate
production potential and to alleviate the dependency on foreign ores. There
has only been one important mine discovered in the last fifty years .(the
Yellow Pine) and the possibilities of any impertant deposits being discovered
in the future are reported to be remote. Antimony reserves of the US are
shown in the following table. About 50 per cent of the total reserves occur
in the Yellow Pine mine. The 1943 peak production of 5,040 metric tons
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Table 3 - Statistical Review of Antimony in the United States,
Antimony contained in,
ore and. concentrates
Antimony content of antiMoniel
lead prOduced from domestic
and foreign ores
Secondary Antimony produced
Imports for consumption
-
Antimony in ore ;
Needle or liquated antimony
Motel
Oxide and other compounds
'Exports Of antimony ore,
metal, and compounds
'Consumption of primary
antimony: .
Average US price in cents
per pound
World productionof primary
:"antimony
1938-19148
(In metric tons and. cents per pond')
1938
1939-
.1940
1941
-1942:
.19,143
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
590
357
448
1,101
2, 671
5,040
4, 295
,751
,272,
4 823
'57 .
1,867
1,005
1,884
2,683
2,964.
1,891
2,592
1,807
1,322
'1,842
N.A.
7,711
8,899
10,34
19,64
16,511
14,046
14,411
15,556
17,341
20,851
19,788
7,550
8,571
14,273
17587
19,1002,
26,086:15,49524543_15,355
84420
12427_6
82-
- 207
103:
:579,,
474
-1
"-
,
15-
:
745
948
190
6,776
115
'; 845
266
569
2,352
5,333
2,881
376
157
.5
. 2
1../
2.1
645
53
250
64-,
209
448,1,197
302
, .419
733
295
10,484V
2
10531J
16,288E/
27,2102/
21,6382/17,697
21,551-23,370
15,889
15,102
14,021
12,35
12,36
14.00
14.00
15.55
15.92
15.84
15.84
17,31
33,45
36.67
33,900
38,800
46,300
49,000
51,400
53,200
36,400
26,900
25,400
34,800
41,300
Aj -Less than). ton
Ej Primary antimony available for
Source: US Bureau. of Mines,.
41.
, -
consumption- data not strictly comparable with figures for subsequent years.
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Table 4 - Industrial- Consumption of Primary Antimony, 1938-1948
(In: metric tone of metal content)
Product 1938 1939 1940 1914.1 _ 1942 1943 1944 1945 19 1947 1948
Metal products:
AntimOntal lead
Bearing metal and
_
bearings
Battery. metal and
_ _
'battery oarts
:Type Petal and
.type
Cable Covering.
Sheet and pipe.
Castings _
CollaptibIe tubes
and foil
Ammunition
.SO1der
Total petal products
./
Statistics do not
differentiate consumption by
product- during these.,_
years.
2-621' 4,796 '5,371 4,379 5,599 5,1465
418 2,392 2,563 2,61g i,s6 1,636
2,17.7. 2,124 1,155 983 2/
_
763 -1,128- 1,726 ,103..
383
-3,83 249 72 . 55 :56
16o 296 334 198 204 177:
- 180 104 242 - 211 117 73
120 103_ 184. _ 110 70 , 28
, 353 - 84 97 : 27 22 19
117 _64 113 255 120 -132
.11,110 11,436 10,580 1 9,155. 8,510
See footnotes bottom of-next page.
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Table 4 - Industrial Consumption of Primary Antimony., 1938-1948 - Continued
Product
1938 1939 1940 1941.
1.942 1943
1944
- .1945
1946
1,947
1948
Nonmetal products: ,
Flame proofed textiles
6,307
-6,407
6,963'
88
186
352-
Paints an.d. lacquera.
Statistics do not
1,686
2,259._-,2,778
1,508
-1,201
1,169
Frits and ceramic
s
'enamels
255
454
849-
1,646
1,591
1,146
Glass and'pottery ?
differentiate consumption by
)487
373
? 276
318
382
31,9-
'Sodium antimonate
1 43
335
464
1,232
Antimony trichloride
'
139
262
188
96
1/
AmMunition primers
product during these
88
? 39
6o
14
15
5
Matches
16.
9
16
23
'21
34
Other
?
years.
349.
; 302
340
? 386
2,551
2,215
9,370
19,441
11.934
5310
5,947
5,510
TotalwOnmetal 4products
Grand total primary
Secondary -
:Total US consumption
10 4843/ 10.5313416,28a 27,210/ 21,6383/17,697_21 551-.23,370 15,-889 15,102 14,029
, 7,74: 8,899 10,361 19,621 16,511, 14,046 1.4 411 15,556 17,341,20,851.19,788
18,195 19,430 26,649 146,831 38,.149 31,743 35,962 38,92633,230 35,953 33,80
2/
Included with antimonial lead.
Included with other.
Primary antimony available for consumption;
Source: Department of Commerce.
data.not strictly comparable ? with 'figures for subsequent years.'
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metal content was eXaeeded in 19L8 A.th e iiieh Of 5,887 tons, and if the
present high price continues the BUreau of Mines believes the 1949 production
from domestic ores will exceed the 1948 peak.
Table 5 - Antimony Reserves in the US as of 1944 1/
,
(In Metric
Measured and Indicated
tons)
Inferred '
--TaiMony
Tons of ore Content
Total ?
Antimony
Contained
Antimony
Tons of ore Content
Price of antimony
at 160 per poundi
From antimony ore
? 9,000
890
41500 .
470
. 1,400
From by-product bre
3,901,000
38,000
816,000
10,000
48,000
Total
3,910,000
38;900
821,000
10 500
42,400
Antimony at 170
to :,;1.50
From antimony ore
454,00o
4,400 1/ 680,000
13,600
18,000
From by-product ore
7,802,000
20.,900, 2,450,000
5,420
26,300.-
Total:
8 256,000
25,300
3,1303000
191.000
44,300
Grand tbtal
12,166,000
64,200
3,951,000
29,500
93,7Q0
/ Rounded figures.-
_ .
/ Nearly all' indicated.
Secondary Antimony
About half of the annual
is recovered from scrap while
antimony consumption in normal years
in war years this percentage decreases with
large increases 'in antimony consumption. A maximuM- of 19,621 tons of.,
antimony were produced from Strap in 1941 but this tonnao fell to
World War II low of 14,046 tons in 1943, and 145)111 tons in 1944. This
significant decrease was due partly to the lowor per cent of antimony in
battery scrap. In 1942 limits were temporarily sot at 7.5 por cent antimony
in battery grids. These limits were discontinued and 1:), 1946 secondary
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production of antimony had intreaSed to 17'3/0 tons in 1947 reached
:20,8l tens, and in 1948 was approximately 19,800 tons,
The antimony used in antimonial lead and other alloys is susceptible
1
to secondary recovery. The main Sources of' scrap are the plates, grids
and sludge from discarded stbrage batteries of which about 75 per cent
ro recovered as scrap. During 1947 and 1948,, as a result of high lead
prices and a Shortage of lead, there was separation of considerable lead
scrap into antimony- and lead metal. However this is not normally done,
all antimony recovered Ordinarily remaining in the alloyed state.
Foreign Trade
The US was an importer of regulus before the building .of the Laredo
smelter. Afterwards, the dependency on foreign metal changed to a dependency
,on foreign ores for most of the supply of Primary antimony. The peak year
of imports was 1943 when 27,021 tons of antimony contained in ores arrived
in this country. This tonnage amounted to more than two-thirds of the
. world production of primary antimony for that year. .Mexico was our chief
supplier before World War II but was surpassed by Bolivia in 19143 and 1945.
To supplement meagre supplies' in the US, large amounts of regulus were
imported from China in 1941, but Japanese offensives prevented further ship-
ments until the end of the war. Imports of only 7,709 tons during 1946
were at, the lowest level since 1935; however imports reached 13,77.6 tons
in 1947, and 15,375 tons in 19480
Tariff
Antimony ores enter the US duty frees,. whereas antimony metal and the
oxide are 'dutiable at one cent per pound, .and needle (liquated) antimony ,
at one-fourth cent per pound. .The import duty on sulphides is one-half cent"
plus twelve and one-half per cent ad valorem; tartar emetic (potassium-antiffiony
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Table 6 - Antimony Imported into the US, 1938-a948, by Countries 1/
(In metric tons of metal content)
Country 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946
1947.
1948
Argentina 649 198 28
Belgium 23. 173 6 20
51
191
Bolivia 1,028 2,226 - 5,032 6,436 . 6,778 12,549 4,037 10295 688 .
e,
Chil 2/
. .._ 704 . - 733 5 440 1,419 .. 35
2,209
31&..
5,.003
236
A
China 639 600. 176 6,455 - _ _ 518 1,560
5,275
2,709-
rv
1-,
, Honduras ? -. - ' 5 10 84 ,31 96 15 7
-
5
1
- Mexico 4,864 5,870 8,659 lo,879 11,279 ..12?080 . 10,257 ' 7,532 4,564
5,568 '
-7,918-
Peru -: 367 2., 390 ,. 544 - .531 311 2,195 749 1,360 44
141
963
Others 20- 62 12 31 - 396 61 _ 55 811 /
216
350
.-
1
Totals 8,294 9,519 14,462 24,362 19,581 27,021 15,580 21,194 7,709
13,776
15,375
17- Figures include antimony imported for consumption plus material entering under bond.
2/ Imports shown from Chile probably mined in Bolivia or Peru and shipped from a port iii Chile.
3/ Imports from Japan amounted to 792 tons.
Source: US Bureauof Mines.
0,1
Cl),
?Lri
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0
II-
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tartrate) six cents; and other Salts and compounds; not specifically provided
for, are dutiable at one cent plus 25 per cent ad valorem. There has been
no change in tariff rates since 1930 except in the case of metal and oxide
which prior t 19)8 were dutiable at two cents per pound, and sulphides at
one cent plus per c nt ad valorem,
Prices
Antimony prices are characterized by wide and frequent fluctuations.
This is especially true of prices in the New York market. The New York
price is the :base price with the,quotations on a duty-paid basis for iMperted
regulus (metal) which controls the price of domestic metal in nolvial years.
Concentrates are purchased either at a given price per short ton unit (20
pounds of contained antimony) or at a given price per pound of antimony
Content which is usually more than half the market price of. refined antimony:
at New York.
The .highest monthly average price for antimony was in 1917 when it reached
44*71 cents a pound, New York price, compared to a low of 4.32 cents reached
:in the postwar depression of 19217,22, -Prices again increased annually
reaching an average yearly price of 17,5 cents in 1925,- In the subSequent
years the price fell gradually, averaging only 5.62 Cents for the year 1932,
but by 1937 it again had exceeded 15 cents.
' During 1939 the price averaged 12,'36 cents increasing to 14 cents
in 1941 and was held at that figure by. the Office Of Price Administration.-
Cn 13 April 1942, the price was raised to 16.049
cents a pound in Case .
lot-S, 10,000 pounds and ever,.but a-reduction-in freight charges from
Laredo TeXas, to New Yerk City was passed on to the buyers beginning
3 June-1943y and the New York price was quoted at 15.839 cents from that
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time Until the removal of price control on 9 November 1946: The price then
rose to 29.625 cents by 17 December, In 1947 the price for Carle-Ls standard
brands -reached a high of 34,53 cents per pound and on 31 December 1948
the price was 40.17 bents.
The price fluctuations are attributable to peculiarities both of supply
, .
and of demand for antimony inwartime, owing to Certain physical character-
istics rendering the metal highly desirable for military poses, demand
ofOr the metal increases sharply. On the other hand, in a general depression,
demand for antimony drops sharply because its peacetime uses are for the
most part restricted to inflexible price industries.
The volume of supplies brought to the market also shows wide fluctuations,
The market has always depended heavily upon Chinese production; shipments
from China are quite irregular and the time Of arrival is not generally
known beforehand. Coupled with the fact that only small stocks of antimony
are generally held in the principal consuming cotntries? the arrival of a
.shipment'of:concentrate8 from China usually causes a sharp drop in the
market price of the Metal.
?As will be .seen in stbsequent.sections of this report., the price
behavior of antimony has resulted (except in wartime) in the working of
--
only the high grade podket8 in producing Areas outside China. producers
in these areas, e.g., Belivia and Mexico, have been reluctant to reopen .
low grade workings under the Stimtlus-of a rise in market price which
experience has taught them may be shortliVed.
In the light of price and prOduction history and of heavy US dependence,
in time of emergency, upOn non-Chinese production, adequate 'supplies
Cannot be assured unless profitable prices are guaranteed to the miners
(not the smelters) in the Western hemisphere. Belated efforts of the US-
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to secure stockpiles of antimony after the openingof hostilities in
Europe effected a shortage in World l'ar II which could be prevented in the
-event of a future emergency.
_Present Situation and Future Outlook
The US supply of antimonywas in approximate balance with industrial
datand during 1947 and 1948. When the needs of the stockpiling prograt:
are taken into Account, however, the total demand is above npa supply.
As a result of transfers to the stockpile, and withdrawals for industrial
.use'during the past two years, total Government and industrial warking
stocks, exclusive of the .stockpile, dropped from 16,664 metric tons at-th.e
end of 1946 to 14,481 tons as of 31 December 1.948.
Present indications, are that new supply of antimony in 1949 till be
about 411000 metric tons or nearly the same as in 1948. Reduced scrap
recovery is expected to be offset by a slight increase in domestic mine
production and in imports from Mexico, Bolivia and Peru. Imports of antimony
from China could be also reasonably increased during 1949 China has by
far the largest reserves of antimony in the world and is important to the
? U not only as a direct Seurce of supply, but also in that it could satisfy
? the antimony requirements of other nations and thus make more antimony
aVailable to the US from Mexico Bolivia and Peru. Any significant change
in the present pattern of consumption is not expected in the near future
and all demands will probably be met in full.
EmergencySupply. and Demand ?
In the event of a national emergency about 22 500 tons would be
required annually from foreign Sources to augment domestic supplies in ful-
filling US requirements..- Large quantities would haveto be obtained from
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-.mole f ,,- unite?, cycatesTreaaminy DT,UT,11,1Ct., lor i14o 1?,auTi
"(Metric tons of contained
;
ConSUMption and Exports
antimony)
Metallic products ,
.
.
28)298
Primary
8)510
Secondary, . .
.
.
19)788
Flame-proofed textiles . ? [ ?
??
?
?
352
Paints and lacquers ? . .
4
?
4
?
1,169
Glass and pottery . ? -? .
?
?
?
a
?
320
Frits. . ? . . .
:
1))1114
Miscellaneous
2,255
Processing loss. . 4 a ? ,4 ?
-?
?
?
1,503
Total domestic consumption
35,311
Exports and re,-experts . :: .
761
Total demand .
?
?
?
0
36,072
New Supply
Domestic ore . a. .
6,072
Foreign ore . ',
?
6
0
?
12,288
Foreign metal ,' ? 0 ?
?
?

a
#
?
??
3)004
Needle . . . ? . ? :. a
a,
326
Total primary . .
?
,
.
21)690
Scrap. ? ? ? . '.?. .
?
.
.
?
?
24;071-
Total new supply
/-?
.
41)761
StoCks
.
?
?
.
?
188
5_51-10
Government
Ore. . .?
Metal ? ? ? ?to ? ?
Totalgovertment stocks.. . ?
Private
3)728
863
Mine ore
Industrial ore
,
3,348
Metal . . . . ? ? ?
/
Sulfide ? . .
?
.
.
2,188
186
Oxide . ? 1
#
?
1,960
? Total primary . .
.
?
ET-575
Scrap . ' ... .. . ? ?
?
4
i
i
2,208
Total private stocks . . . - 4
?
.1-
a
10,753
Total stocks, government and private
.
.
114,1481
United States TMborts
Metal
Q.Una: .: . a ? ? . .
Addol.dip: a* 4 ? ? ? a ?
Italy . 4' . . . . ? ? ? e
Canada. 4 . ,
.Siam . 4 .-?. ?
,Olgitm- 4 . 4 . .
Mexico , ? . 4 a 4
2,612
120
27
1
3
192
48
3,003
Ores (Metal aentent
Mexico . ? . . . . ? ? 7 869
Honduras . . ? ? ? ? if ? ?? .
French Morocco-. , 4 ? ? c o ? ? :73
Peru . . ? . ? ....
. . 963
? Yugoslavia ? . . ? , 20
Bolivia ? ?. ?
? .,- 0 ? 3026,
Portugal . . . ? . . ? 15
Chile . . . . . -. 23'6
,
Canada. . # ? ? . : 2'6
Siam . . ?4 41. i?. . Sc?
Needle 12,285
China . . . 4 ? ? .r- . 4 ... . ,. 327
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Bolri as well as Mexico. Mexico undoubtedly has sufficient reserves to
aupoly US needs, but a considerable increase in the output -of antimony ores,
. because of their,geblogical occurrence, cannot be effected as 'quickly as with
lead, zinc, copper and many other metals., To increase the output substantially)
additional labor Would be required. The supply of- Mexican mine labor is
limited and other strategic minerals would be Competing for their servides,
therefore it probably,would'be necessary to buy as much as possible from
Bolivia. Peru could be depended on for at least 1,000 tons annually and
up to 3,500 -tons if necessary. Honduras, due to the inaccessibility of the
J deposits and their relatively small potential, would not be important nor.
would Argentina, Colombia or Guatemala, who also have antimony deposits,
.for their reserves are not. large. The following table shows our probable
requirementS, both immediate and after several years, under the accelerated
-conditions brought on by a- sudden emergency.
Table 8 - Estimated US Antimony Requirements and Supply
under Emergency Conditions
(In metric tons).
Domestic Production (antimony content
ores and concentrates)
Antimony content.Of antimonial lead
produced in US from domestic and
some foreign lead ores",
Secondary antimony, frot domestic scrap
Total supply from domestic, sources
Probable domestic requirements'
Deficiency which will have' to be supplied
from foreign sources (Antimony contained
in ore and concentrates)
Supplied by Mexico
Supplied by BoliVia
Supplied by Peru
First corn-
plete year
Third
Year
24,50o
1,700
17,000
23,500
,46,000
22,50C
8-10,000 2/
10-12,2.00 7/
1,000 7/
3,000
20,000
25,000 -
8, coo 1/
-
29,000 1/
12,000 -
16,()00, 3/
-
3,500 2/
-
1/ Includes 3-4,000 tons for stockpiling in event of shipping shortages.
7/ Peri.' can supply at least 1,000 tons of any deficiency in supply from Mexico
-,
Or Bolivia and up to 3,.500 tons if necessary.
3/ Within three years Bolivia may be able to supply 16?000 tons annually.
- However, if there were transport difficulties it might be necessary to
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'increase production as much as possible from MeXico thereby reserving
available shipping space. for materials more Urgently heeded fromPolivia,
such as tin and tungsten. In time of an emergency, the limited, labor supply
is the: most difficult problem. faced :by the industry in both exico and-
Bolivia; other strategic minerals compete for the labor Supply.
It would 'be necessary to have at least a year's supply of primary
antimony stockpiled in the US, and more, if possible, to maintain a steady
now to consumers and as a protection against labor difficulties and a
-shipping shortage Which might develop. However, it is doubtful if this
stockpile could he built up after the emergency developed, t,erefore, the
most logical plan would be to stockpile in advance.
In Mexico, Bolivia and Peru an increase in production Could readily be
attained. b a contract which guaranteed purchase of the entire country's
output such as the Bolivian over-all antimony agreement made by the United
States Commercial Company during the war. The producing mines are hand-:to-
moUth operations, their capital is limited and prompt payments an deliveries
to the. railhead or port would aid operations considerably. A slight relaxa-
tion ? of specifications in purchasing Bolivian concentrates also would cause
-a rise in prOduction to meet an unexpected demand. Specifications,for
:Bolivian concentrates have been too strict, calling .for at least 60 per cent
-antimony and not more than O. per cent lead and arsenic' combined.
The aforementioned are the most, important means of increasing foreign
production and in all probability will be sufficient. However', in certain
spebifit districts with important possibilities but nct much production'
technical assistance and small loans made directly to individual operators
against monthly production Would also contribute towards increasing the
output of both these countries. By using all of those methods, Mexican and
Bolivian production might be increased above the figures given in Table 8,
proVided other mining enterprises do not compete for the available labor
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In an emergency theJJK.and Cahada may also have to be supplied with their
antimony requirements. South African., Australian and Canadian production
would not be able to fulfil the teedS of these two countries. Canadian
,
production is small. and the 'supply', lines from South Africa and Australia
are difficult to maintain. Not only WoUld it be necessary to ship to these
countries Bolivian ore for part of their requirements, but any output in
excess of our needs would be required for the UK and, therefore, it would.be
advantageOus to increase Bolivian production as much as possible:
Consumption of primary antiMony in the UK during 1947 totaled .5,302
tons, of which 683 tons were used in batteries; 697 tons in other antiMonial
lead 595 tons in bearings; 2,804 tons in oxides and other compounds; and
523 tons in various othermaterials. Secondary antimony consumptien amounted
to 3,490 tonS, of Which 2,451 tons were used in antimonial lead and 1,039 tons
for other purposes. Emergency requirements of the UK and Canada would total
8-11?000 tons of primary antimony annually.
MAJOR WORTP PRODUCERS
China
Prior to the Japanese invasion in 1937,-China dbminated the world's
antimony industry, mining almost two-thirds of.all,the antimony produced
'in the period 1913-37. China's huge reserves of antimony, estimated in 1945
by the Chinese Geological Survey at 3 .803000 metric tens of contained metal,
dwarf those of Mexico, Bolivia and the US into insignificance,. The 'combination
of high grade ores and cheap labor could make it possible for China to. force
other producers out of the market in normal years, but the policy of the
,
Chinese government has been to maintain a fair price) at times withholding
- stocks from the market until the price advanced.. China, in the ten year
period from,1931-440 produced 116,674 metric tons of antimony metal 14914
tons of liquated sulfide and, 7477 tons of oxide.-
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With the Japanese occupation of eastern China, Shipments of antimony
Could be made only with great difficUlty, pxpOrtS deblined, stocks increased
.ahd production had to be curtailed Whereas Chinas output totaled As MuCh
as 21401 tons of,metal in 1929 only 9,436 tons (recoverable metal content
of ore) were mined in 1938. When the Burma road was but by the Japanese in
1942, it effected a 'complete breakdown of the Chinese antimony industry and
production virtually ceased. In June 1944 the Japanese captured Changsha,
centt_ of the. Chinese antiteny industry and capital of Hunan Province.
Smelters were wrecked and the industry was paralyzed.
Because so many smelters were demolished and mining installations were
so badly damaged, it will be some time before the mines can regain their
foldier position as the world'B leading producers. The industry is starting
anew, rebuilding smelters and rehabilitating the mines. Another difficulty
which has faced the industry is a lack of economic stability - - too wide a
discrepancy in the official and black market rates of foreign exchange. The
mines, with some aid from the'government, resumed production late in 1946
? and are now producing at a rate of about 3,000 to 4,000 tons annually. A
drilling campaign is underway at Hsi-kuang-shan, the principal producing
area. Meanwhile the severe shortae of Chinese antimony has been felt in
world markets, and this is responsible for the Considerable rise in the
-world price. Production of antimony during the year 1946 amounted to only
426 tons, for 1947 to 1,909 tons, and 1948 to 3,251 tons.
The antimony industry, because of its national importance, is under
strict government surveillance and control. The National Antimony Administra-
tion was established in 1936 to regulate production and collect taxes.
Through this organization the government is now attempting to restitute
production tO its former lovels by loans and other aids for acquiring equipment,
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while the National Resources CethMission is oPerating a few mines, smelters
and refineries. All antiMeny MUSt be sold to the government.
Local consumption of antimony has been small, rarely exceeding more
than 100 to 200 tons annually, Used in the manufacture of 'matches, fire-
'crackers and enamels. After the Burma road was closed by the Japanese
offensive, the Chinee government constructed a plant for manufacturing
pigments in order to increase dgmesticantiMony consumption. It is hoped
that under an accelerated Program consumption will increase to 1,000 tons
of antimony annually within a few years.
In prewar years about 75 per cent of China's production was exported in
the form of regulus, 19 Per\Cent as crude and six per cent as oxide. Prior
to the JaPanese invasion the UK, Japan and 'Germany Were the chief buyers of
Chinese antimony. Exports to the US gradually decreased after the building
of the Laredo, Texas, smelter ih 1930.
Host of china's antimony deposits are in. Hunan Province which ustally.
accounts for 95 per cent of the countryvs production. The major district
is Hsin-hua where two-thirds of the province's "Output is mined. The Chinese
Geological Survey in 1945 reported Hunan reserves at 1,995,500 metric tons
Of contained metal. Normally the ore is rich, containing from 6 to 18 per
cent antimony. There are 24 major deposits in the prOvince with the HsiAcuang-,
.shan mines the most important of these. In 1939 Hsi-kuang-shan mined 10,291_
tons (metal content) which was More than the entire Output of Mexico and
approximately that of Bolivia. Thesb mines are about 20 miles northeast of
Hsin-hua. At Hsi-Kuang-shan stibnite and cervantite occur in:quart,veinS
along faults and bedding Planes of Paleozoic strata, as replacement deposits
in limestone, and in fractures in the brecciatod crests of anticlines.. The
usual occurrence of antimony is in narrow, irregular veins-; however, at -
Hsi-kuang7shan, and elsewhere in China) there are many exceptions to this
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rul: One lode outdropS along the crest of an anticline for over a mile in
length; andjs honeycombed with the workings of more than 70 companies.
: ReSerVeS of HsiLkunng,,shan in.tertS oit Metric tons of Contained Metal have
bopti estimated at 970,000 tons. Two 'other important deposits in Hunan are
the 7U-chi near Yuan-ling with reserves of 107,000 tons, and the Pari-chi
near 1-yang4 At the Pan-chi there are two main veins, 2,000 feet and
1,600 feet in length and varying from 1 to 25 fPet wide. Average grade of
ore is about 16 per cent,
Although 95 per cent of Chinals output has come from Hunan several
other provinces are potentially of major importance. In Kwangtung Province
fthe.Tien-tzu-Jing deposit near Chu,chiang and Mai7hua-chieu near Ju-yuang-
each have estimated reserves of mord than 500,000.tons. The Fan-ching-shah
deposit hear Chiangklot in Kweichow Province is believed to contain over
Wo,000 tons of contained metal. Possibilities also exist in Kwangsiand
Yunnan Provinces,
Reserves-of individual mines as,published by the, Chinese
Geological Survey in 1945 are reported in Table 9. Their locations are
shown in the accompanying tap.
Mining of ore in China; as in other countries, is chiefly by small groups
in scattered workings using primitive methods. In general little machinery
and equipment is used, although many are equipped- with electric putps. Most
of the work is done on a. contract basis to the smallest unit with many
(hundreds of contractors and sub-contractors engaged in mining operations
simultaneously. In normal years there are about 24,000 workmen, about 17,000
of Whom work underground. Wages of common laborers were low in prewar years
in comparison to wages paid in Bolivia and Mexico. Generally mining is
carried out with hand dril1s and the ore is roughly sorted from the gangue
after blasting and carried to the surface ib small bnmboo-baSkets. At the
surface the ore is hand sorted again and sent to a mill for concentration
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by gravitymethodS or concentrated by-breakl.ng the bre in-be fine fragments
and then jiggihg to further separate the ore and gangue.
The Concentrated Ore assaying 45 to 60 .per cent Sb2 3, is either sent
to the smelter where it iS liquated? forming crude fused sulfide Or is made
' into tri-oxide or tetra-oxide by oxidiing the ore in a small reverberatory
furnace. The recovery in liquating is between 85 and 90 Per cent of the sulfide
content, while 88 to 92 per cent is recovered by oxidation. The crude and
_oxides are sometimes Sold as such, but most frequently they are refined to
the metal in reverberatory or blast furnaces. In the former recovery is
seldom above 88 per cent while in the latter recovery is as high as 95 tr
98 per cent. The metal produced by these two methods is ordinarily further
refined, usually in reverberatory furnaces, to roguIus over 99 per cent,
'China is the only large producer of antimony ore also possessing an important
smelting and refining i,ndustry. There were more than 24 plants employing
over 1 000 workmen Smelting antimony in southern Hunan prior to the, Japanese
'invasion, Most of these were centered about Chang-sha. TWO of these were
modern smelters with an annual output of 6,000 tons of regulus. Chinese
- regulus is sold. in slabs weighing 30 to 40 pounds each shipped in cases
containing 224 pounds. Standard reguluS is over 99 per cent?ahtimony while
.special brands have.a guaranteed purity of 99.6.- 99..8 per cent.
If economic Conditions should become stabilized, smelters rebuilt, and
mines rehabilitated, China could again be able to dominate the world's
?
antimony industry. Under normal conditions production could be increased
readily to 20,000 tons or more annually and any fluctuations in world demand
could be met. Restitution of large scale production would tumble the world
price to about 15 cents and would have an adverse effect mainly on Bolivian
production and, to a lesser extent, that of Mexico However, the immediate
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future, of the antitbny induStty is nbt hri7ht for demands ,cannot' be met
unless internal difficulties and 'bhp exchange problem are solved, and the
political situation is settled inc. manner permitting normal trade.
China needs to recapture the Enropean, as well as a substantial share,
of,the American markets. In the event of a conflict, China could not be
considered a major source of antimony to the US over.any period of time.
Protection of the artery of the Pacific Ocean and the Chinese rivers is a
difficult problem and air transpOrt space Would be saved for tin and tungsten.
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Table 9 - Estimated Reserves of Antimony in China
by Deposits 1/
CIm Metric Tons of Metal)
Province
De-oosit
Hunan.
KwangtUng'
Kwangsi
Kweichow
Hsi-kuang-shan
Wu-chi
Hou-tung-chUn
Lung-shan -
Pan-chi
Kan-tzu-yaan
Hua-pan-chi
Lui-tou-tsi
Lungkou
Chi ang-kou
Lacl-chiaHning
Tseng-thia-chi
Chiang-chi-lung
Cha-tzu4cou ,
KuFngin-tang
Eou-tzu-ling
Wang-chia-chung
Huang7chung
Hsi-chung-
Others
Tien-tzu-ling
Mai-hua-chieu
Sam -cha-ho ?
-Chien-chu-loo
Ping.-tou-shan
Others
Total:fOr
Locality Reserves Provinces
Yuan-ling ?
Shao7yang
do
I-yang
An-hUa
do.
Tung-an
Hsdng-ning
do,
An-hua.
Hus-nu
do
An-hua
HEU-DU
Hsdn-hua
I-yang
Tung-an
I-yang.
Chu-chiang
Ju-yuang
Ho-ch'ih
and
Nan-tan
Chung7shan
Tung- lan
Tien-yang
: Tien-tung
Ho7---shao-tsai
Wujfeng-shan
Mia-lung
Liu-chang,Kao-tung
Shia-;lOad-cheng
Pa-ming-
Shia-shan
Pal-ti
Son-ho
do
Jong-chiang
Hsing.-jen
Tzle-Hene
-
970,000 -
107,000
75.,000
6,00b
56,000
28,000
18,000'
17,000
16,000
=.1,600
10,000
8,300 ?
7,200
7,000
6,400
6,300
6,000
2,200
500
580,000
554,.ono
629,000 .
5,300
1,260
60.000
41,0(0
1?, Q0'
6,000
12,5'0
P,750
8,640
1;995',.500
1,183,000
? 66.860
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Table 9 - Estimated Reserves of Antimony in China
by. Deposits (Contld)
? (In Metric Tons Of
Province
KI.Teichow
(cont o)
Yunnan ?
Deposit
Total ft.,r
Locality Reserves ?Province
Fan-ching-shan.
pai-poh
Miao-ling.
Others
Chiang-K1ou
Jung-.chiang
Tu-.shan
Yu-Ohia-tou-chang Ping-1
Koi-yuan
Hsi-tsu
Wen-shan
.1,00,000
2,900
3;000
10,000
28,000
20,000
509,810.
48,000
Total Reserves of.China'.
3,802,870
i C.C., Geol. Survey China, Spec. Rept.
-35-
, December 1945..
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S,Z E C NW A N
?
.37
,
?-? ?
YUNNAN
????----313
I
IA/POCH/ NA
K WEI CH o
?????'.- ,????
V.
, . /3
i IN
I
...1 k ,m,____v iy
_.:1_ ..?..., ,m,..._,.....:-.,
%., ? ?
) zz 1 9. ---," f
/I
6.6-31 (*.
ch,",j-3h4
s:KIANG.5 I
;./?
? .) -19
rr
4 41 r/41 ON Y kfrives
CHINA.
.;>
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MAP 1 - CHIN.A,-ANTIMONY DEPOSITS
INDEX
Mai)
No. 'Province
1 Kirin
4
10
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Name of Mine
or of (Deposit)
Liaoning
Hunan,:
25
26
27
28 Kwangtung
29
30
31
32
33 Kweichow
34
'35
36
37 Yunnan
38
Kwangsi
1/ Approximate
2/ Coordinates
:Ta-huang-kou
Wan-ptc-ho,-tzu
Man-paa
(Hsi-ktuang-shan)
.(San-chien-feng)
'(Mao-tzu-ling)
(Pei7cht.i)
(Lung-shah)
(Hou-tung-,ch!ung)
(Chiang-cht.i)
(Pan-"ch"i)
(Wang-chia-ch'Ung)
.(Hsil-chlung)
(Liaochia-pling)
(Kan-tZu-yUan)
(Hua-pan-chli)
(Cha-tzu-ch'i)
(Tlien-chuang-Wan)
.(Tstung-chli)
(Lin-chia-chlung)
(Tseng-chia-ch'i)
(Kuan-yin7tlang)
'(Qhiang-Chli-lung)
(Niu-tiou-chai and
Hsien7thiang-
chlung)
(Heng-chtung)
(Chiang-ktou.)
(Lung-ktou)
(Io-chia-Wan)
(Ttien-tzu-ling)
(Fu-jung-ch'ang)
(Li-ttang)
(Huo-shao-chai)
(Pa-meng)
(Fan,--chingshati)
(TU.-15i) & (Kuo-,hua)
1Mao-shan)
location
Hsien seat,
Latitude Longitude
Location, Deg,Min-
Tun-hua
An-ttu
An-t'u
Hsin-hua
? do
do
do
Sha0-yang
do
I -ang
do
An-hua
do
do
do
do
do
do.
Hsu,Plu
do
do
- 36 -
43- 14
42 51
42 40 1/
128
13
128
22
128
30
27 46
27 33 1-11 p'n
26.
27
.32
28
09
27
30
27
14 2/
27
30
28
29
28
23
28
35 31
28
08
28
08 2/
28
12
28
08 2/
28
30
28
08 a/
2
V
27 (4
2,1
27
53 21
27
53 IV
Tang-an
do
Hs in-fling
26
26
26
20 ?2/
;20,2/
37:2/
- do
96
31 2/
Lo-chtang
25
22
Chtu-chiang
24
43
Ho-chtih
24
41
Pih-yang
23
07
Wu-ming
23
07
Tu-ohiang
25
42
Jung-chiang
25
46
Chiang-klou
27
J))
San-tu
26
03
K'ai-yuan
23
36
Wen-shan-
23
13
1-
11 32
111 45
111 46
111 28
414
11 2150
111 39
111 39
111 05
111 39
111 40
111 39
111 39
110 40
110 40
110 40
111 14
111 14
110 48
110 48
113 31
113 10
107 53
109 10_
108 19
.10811
108 26
108 51
107 58
103 07
103 55
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?Bolivia
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When China's production decreased due to the, Japanese invasion, Bolivia,
and Mexico increaSed their, outputs'to make up China's deficiency. BoliVia
became the world's principal producer in 1941 and held this position until
1944 when a decline of 58.6 per cent in production reduced Bolivia from first
place to one subordinate to that of Mexico. The decline in 1944 and that
of 1945 was due mainly to the termination of the overall sales Contract between
Bolivian antimony prodUcers and the United States Commercial Company, and,
to a lesser extent, restricted, by a serious shortage of ships. Bolivia again
became the leading world Producer in 1946, when Bolivian tines became the chief
source of supply for EurOpean countries. The peak year of Bolivian PrOdUction
and also for that of Mexico was 1943 when 16,536 metric tons recoverable
antimony content of concentrates were min d compared to Mexicols 12,585 metric
tons. There is no antimony smelter in Bolivia and the antimony is exported
in the form of concentrates averaging about 60 par cent antimony. There is
no consumption of antimony within the country. .
The main difficulty of the producers in 1944 and 1945 was the lack of a
stable market for Bolivian ore. When the US cancelled its purchasing agreement
most of the mines were forced to shut down. Later purchases were resumed on
a smaller scale. More rigid specifications (c minimum of 60 per cent antimony
and 0.5 per cent combined lead and arsenic contents) were applied but could
not be met by many of the small mines. Present difficulties are a high
freight rate to the coast and the fear of fluctuating market prices similar
to prewar years. In an apparent attempt to assist the industry the Bolivian
government reduced export taxes by 50 per cent in 1947.
Before World War II, Belgium', the US, the UK, and Japan were the
leading markets for Bolivian antimony concentrates. The chief buyer was
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Belgium, where the ores were SMelted and the metal re-exported to Germany.
In 1940 and 1941 Japan received most, of the ores,, buying at prices above the
London parity. During the war the US received the bulk of,BOlivia's exports
with Minor amounts going to the UK and to Argentina where antimony concentrates
are consUmed in the manufacture of antimonial lead at the smelter of the
National Lead Company. A complete revieW Of Bolivia s exports is reported
in the accompanying eTort table.
Antimony occurs in numerous and widely scattered deposits in a belt
roughly corresponding to the tin belt, though there is no direct association
: with the tin deposits. This great mineral belt extends from Achacachi north
of La Paz through Tupiza and into Argentina, and follows the general, outline
f a granite batholith that underlies the area and from which the mineral
deposits originated. The most. important districts are Tupiza, which produces
more than half Of the country's production and the richest ore located in
the Department of Potosi, and Challapata in the Department of Oruro-(see Map 2'
The ore is stibnite occurring in quartz veins which traverse narrow belts Of
fractured black slates often more than tan miles in length, (Nine major
belts are shown on the attached map. Belts of minor importance also carrying
antimony deposits are denoted by a A-.) The veins are usually narrow and
'irregular, yv.ith ore masses oc6urring where veins intersect. Stibnite also
occurs disseminated in quartz. There were 166 properties being worked in
1943. Usually the ore as mined averages about 10 per cent antimony and the
concentrate produced about 60 percent. The selling value of the concentrate.
often is reduced by penalties for high arsenic content. Gold is sometimes
present in payable quantities. The antimony deposits in Bolivi. as in
'Toxic() and practically all other countries except at Hsi-kuang-shan in
China, are small in size and irregular with no considerable extension 1T,1
depth or along the strike- Many hundreds of deposits occur, but in eVery,
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case there is little development ahead of mining,
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Although the Bolivian antimonY deposits are numerous,, almost all of
them are small in size and are worked by the most primitive methods, only
the richer portions of the veins being mined. The ore bodies are first
explored by surface cuts and trenches along the veins. The deposits usually
are opened at depth by adits. The ore is hand sorted underground with much
of the ore wasted in the attempt to produce a high grade concentrate. The
high grade is sacked, the rest tram:led to the surface, often by wheelbarrows
where it is further sorted.
The second sorting is usually near the mouth of the lowest adit, where
women cob waste from ore. Remaining poor ore is hand crushed, screened and
jigged. The fines are concentrated in buddies. The fuel problem is a
serious one on the Bolivian plateau and the major reason why antimony atici
other mines are workedwithout much mechanical equipment. Some of the larger
mines have concentration plants and 'ball mills but these are badly in need
of replacement parts.
With the exception of a few mines, only about- 30 to 60 workers are
employed 'in each mine. -Little technically trained help-is employed in the
entire industry. Since most of the 'minesare about 5,000 feat-above sea
? level, local labor must be used, as workmen from lower altitudes are
inefficient and ?find it difficult to become acclimated to the altitude. The
local labor supply is often scarce, becoming the chief problem of the
producers when antimony is?in,great demand..
? ? TranSport i still a major difficulty fading the Bolivian mining
industry** Not only are freight rates high, but the transport to the
railhead, is often difficult and high cost. From the principal stations near
the antimony mines, thSconcentrates are shipped to the ports of Antofagasta
?
39 -
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and Arica in Chile and some to Santo Fein Argentina. ShipMents to the
railroad and nearest highways in some instances are Still m-do by means of
llamas and burros. There are several inacPessible areas With important
ore dobosits which will not be prodUctive until roads or railroads are built.
There are no antimony smelters in Bolivia due to the lack of fuel.
During the war plans were proposed for a smelter in the ?Potosi District to
utilize domestic crude oil but this apparently has been abandoned.
The Banco Miner? de Bolivia, designated by law the official local buyer
of minerals) usually buys the product of small mines at a fixed price at
the nearest railroacistation.. The price varies with the quality of the con-
centrate and the London price for antimony. During the.war, funds were
? advanced for supplies in order to increase production
Bolivian producers are now Supplying the European antimony markets and
production has increased sharply following the increase in world price.
? Usually production is stimulated after a price rise, gradually meeting all
demands and producing a sulplus. The price falls but production does not
decrease until sometime after the drop in price when the higher cost producers
are forced to suspend operations. Mexice is the least affected because its
transportation cost to the Laredo smelterris much less than that of Bolivia.
However, with China out of the market for sometime the industrial output
probably will not fluctuate until the Chinese mines return to normal..,:. When
'this happens, many problemswill have to be solved in order that Bolivia Pan:
compete profitably:. The Bolivian goVernment now is more favorably inclihed
toward antimony producers. Taxes have been reduced 50 per cent and limited
financial assistance was proffered prior to the price rise.: Freight rates
would have to be reduced, technical assitance would be required and internal
transport facilities would have to be impreved before Bolivia -Could compete
with China on a largo scale.
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In the event of a sudden emergency Bolivia again would be one of the
two major sources of antimony supplying US requirements, and probably the
major supplier. If this should happen an over-all purchase' contract for the
entire production-, technical assistance and limited amounts of smell machinery'
should be sent to the miners and a system initiated whereby loans for equip-
: ment and supplies could be made to individual producers againSt future
purchases. A slight relaxation of specifications should'effect-an increase
.in production, inasmuch as meeting these.often lowers the output per man
shift.
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r ?
1.
Table 10- BoliVia t:1A.ports of AntimonY.Coneentrates by Countries; 1938-1948
(In T-letrie Tens of Contained Antimony)
Argentina
:-.31.olgium
7Trante ,
- ..Germany
-? Japan
Japan
t
L-7-- Spain -
r\>
t United. _Kingdom
-13nite-d States:
1938
133
7,051-'.
- 21
72
603
15
529
._ 1,01-7
1939
173
4,761
7
.._
1,426
-
.1,710
.2,390
1940
79
579
_ -
-
: ' 621
-
? 261
10,253
.
1941 -.
59-
'. -
_
-
879 ,
-
r 90 .,
13,845
, 1942
414
_
-
__
-
15:
17,214
1943
116
-
_
-.
_
180 -
17,678
. 1944
1/
_
...
-
1/
. 15,19,75
1944-5
319
-.-.1
_
-
' 24
1946
21
2/
_
_
2/ .
2/
- 21
1947
2/ '
2/
' 2/
2/
2/
PI
1948 ,
2/
2j :
2/ '
-
2/
2/
?
2/
_
?
Total exports
9,437
10,060
-11,753
14,373
17,643
17,974
-7,44
5,536
7,.676
10,057
12,260
1/ 'All.but a few tons.Were shipped to the United States'.
Breakdown .not reported but large quantities are?kno,-n to have been shipped. to EUrepe.
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{
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BOLIVIA--ATIMONY DEPOSITS
INDEX
'
Limits of Mineral.Zone
Principal Deposits
? SeCondary Deposits
.jntrusive Rocks
Black Slate Belts
ANTIMONY MINES
.PrinciPal Mines Owners
1, Espiritu Santo (Vivdp de Pringle
2 Mailiri (Empresa Jose Dominguez)
Challviri (Hochschild)
4 La India (Fadic)
5. jripp1rpa (Manuel Solares.)
6. Churat (Stevenson)
7. Churouini (Frishand 1right)
6 Cobija (Testamentaria Cruz) .
9? Santiago (Patino) ?
Sthall_Hines Owners
10. San Simon, (Yendez)
Huancaparma
12. .4uila (Trepp)
13. S: Teresita (Franz)
14. Huarahuatani
15. Cavari
16. Taruthita (Trepp)
17. Chillcani (Ellis)
18. Challa (Em1-5: 4 Ier.ranos)
19. Antofagasta (GarCia)
20. El Condor .(Herbas C;)
21. -Terremoto (Finingham)
22. Capacirca
23. Cebadillas
24. ChugUiuta
25. Frahcia (Koehler)
26. Guadalupe (3usolic)
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RESTRICT:7,D
MAP 2 ? BOLIVIA7ANTIONY DEPOSITS Cont'd)
Small lines 6ners (Continued) .
27. Ialluir (Busolio)
2E. Churin (Etienrs):
Puntuma (Itocab.ado)
30. Tiefo.rma (RocabadO
31. ,Em,p, M- Quesada
32. aio? Blanco
33. Huarojla (Gericke)
34. Tani (Gericke)
35,: QuillAcas
36. Alianza
37, Cande1,5.ria (San Juan)
38. San PeAro(Gerick6)
39, Sucre (Trmontini)
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f:lexico ?
RESTE7CTED
In 1940, 1944, and 1945, Mexico was the world 'S largest producer Of
antimony ore. The peak year of prodUctien was:1943 when 12,585 tons
? recoverabI antimony content of ore were mined. Mexico's output dropped in
1945 and 1946 because of increased costs,?labor difficulties, and the
curtailing, of public Purchasing by US Government agencies. The demand andl
consequently, prices increased Considerably in late 1946. The supply was
short and prOduction began to increase. Since Mexico was the chief US
supplier just before the war, the demand for Mexican antimony has been more
constant than for ores from other countries. Mexico's low cost for trans.-
porting. ore to the Laredo, Texas, smelter, the major one ih the US, and the
US tariff on antimony metal make it possible for Mexico to supply most of
the US' reqUirements during normal years.'
In prowar years Mexico shipped between 70 and 80 per cent of its
output to the US, about 20 percent to England, ?and the remaining tonnage
to Japan, France and BelgiUm. During the war years (19)11-1945) the US '
received most .of Mexico's output.
Antimony deposits occur in practically all the states in Mexico, and
during 71brld Tlar II ore was mined in eleven states from 'many -hundreds Of
. workings. Except for a few properties the deposits are small. The ores
vary considerably in richness, but many of them have a low antimony content.
Generally high grade ores have come from Oaxaca and .,Sonora. ? Average grade
of Mexican ores and ,concentrates -shipped to the US is 35 percent antimony
compared to 60 per cent for those from Bolivia. The Bolivian ores are sulfides
whereas in MeXico the oxides predeMinate. ,The smelter at Laredo treats
these low,grade ores successfully, smelting the oxide ores without roasting.
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PE8T RIC T:ED
Table 11 - Reserves of the?Antimonio District, Sonora
(In Metric Tons)
Tons of Ore.
No measured ore -
Grade -
Tons Sb
Indicated Ore
High grade in veins
and placers '% 1,000 - 3,000 45%* 450 - 1,350
Mill ore in Veins " 40,000 60,000 5 10% 2,000 - 6,000
Dump ore 5,000 - 10,000 10 - 15% 5oO
.To-61 indicated 46,000 - 73,000 295O -L. 8,850
Inferred Pre
High grade in veins 25,000 - 50,000 45% - 11,250 -22,50n
High grade in placers 1,000 - 3,000 45% 450 1,350
-Mill ore in veins 50,000 150,000 . 5 - 10% .2,5oc, -15,000
Total inferred 76,000 - 203,000 1-4?200 -38,850
Grand total 122,000 276,000: 17,150 -/17,700
'Table 12 - Reserves of Los Tejocotes Mines, axaca
(In Metric Tons)
No measured ore
Indicated
High grade
Low grade
Inferred
Total
Tons of Ore
Grade.
20,000 - 35,000 55%
30,000 lo - 151
40?000 - 70,000 50%:
Tons Sb
11,000 - 19 000
3,000 - 4,500
,20,000 35,000
90,000 - 135,000 34,000 58,5oo
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a
The size and irregularitly charteriStio of the deposits are such that
any attempt to prove meastrable ore would increase Mining costs several
times so the development of reserves i8 usually economically impractical.
Thus exact data on reserves of the deposits 'are hot available. The principal
producing mines are San Jose near Wadley, Zacatecas;. ejocotes, 14 miles
north of Chicahauxtla, Oaxaca; Santa Maria de Miera in the Soyatal District
of Queretaro; and those of Roberto Moreno at Antimonio, Sonora. Many small
deposits occur in one district so that the total output for the area proves
considerable over a period of years. Several districts with an aggregate
tonnage of importance arc Chicahuaxtla, Oaxaca; Bernal, Queretaro; Charcas
and Matehuala, San Luis Potosi; and the Pacheco District in Zacatecas.
Both the Los Tejocotes mines,. Oaxaca and those of the-Antimonio District,
Sonora, are believed to have produced' at only a. fraction of their potential
capacity even during the waryears. The possibilities of these areas can
be seen from Tables 11 and -12 obtained' from the files of the Foreign Economic
Administration. - In both cases there was no measured ore, for development
work needed, to block out ore proved tnprofitable.?
Besides straight antimony ores,. antimony is also produced as a by-
product from lead ores smelted at Monterrey,: Some antimony has been pre)
duced from livingstonite(a sulfide of mercury and antimony averaging
1 per cent mercury, 3 per cent antimony) in the Huitzuco mercury district .of
Guerrero. The ore was shipped to the smelter of Menardi,MetalS near Los
Angeles,. California.
'Due to the mall Size and ipregularity of the ore bodies mining is
principally by hand. In 1943. the Cia. Minera de Oaxaca tried large scale.
? open pit mining with equipment at a mine near San Juan Mixtepec
?in an atteMpt to increase production. 'Not only did the output fail tb
increase. substantially but large scale. open pit mining proved too costly due
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to the increased proportion Of waste handled and operations ceased after a
few months.
The buscon system used in MexiCo is a contracting system similar
to those used in Bolivia and China.and is successful Where ore bodies are
very small and irregular and hand mining i8 involved te a groat extent. It
is often used in the exploitation of old mines after formal company operations
have become unprofitable.
Concentration is mainly by hand-picking but several mines have jigs.
he sulfide ore Can be concentrated mechanically, but often the oxide is
too porous for Successful concentration. In the jigging operations losses
are high. More than 2,000 workers are employed in the Mexican antimony
industry.
When the Laredo Texas, smelter was constructed 'in 1930 Mexico's
smelter, at Wadley, San Luis Potosi was closed down. A small smelter was
built several years ago at TlalnePantla near Mexico City by the Cia.
MetallUrgica Mexicanna, Metallic antimony is also produced at the Monterrey
'smelter of American Smelting and Refining Company and antimonial lead produced
at Peneles by the Cia. Ebtallurgica'Penoles. About 300 to 400 tens of the
'.metallic antimony produced is consumed locally. Annual production in recent
years is reported below in metrie tons.
Tear Refined
? 19b1
19)42
1943
840
734
1,338
1944 1,034
1945 1,060
1946 693
865
881
1947
1948
r
.The main difficulties of the producers are the export and other taxes
imposed on the 'mining industry by the Mexican goVernment, labor trbubles,
and a lack Of technical assistance in mining. TranSport costs are high
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but have had little effect on the MeXiCan antimony industry Production
has not increased as Much as is possiblu due to the wide discrePanqy between
the market Price of metal and the price paid for ore by the compmy controlling
the industry.
The MeXican antimony deposits are most important strategically because
of the great distances between the other producers and the US. Though ther
individual deposits are small, they are numerous and capable of a substantially
incre,sed output. In an emergehCy production Could be increased most readily
by guaranteeint. a market for the entire prOduction. Many mines have large
.stocks of low grade ore which could be shipped as a last resort in the event
of an extreme shortage.
About three-fourths of Mexico's annual production has Come from properties
of the Cia. Minera y Refinadora Mexicana, S.A0, and the Cia. Mincra de
Oaxaca, formerly, affiliated companies of Texas .Mining and ,Smelting Company,
but now 1,00 per cent sbbsidiaries of the National Lead Company which acquired
theta in 1947 from the Cookson interests of England. (The Laredo Texas,
smelter was purchased by National Lead Company from the Cooksen interests
on 31. December 1946.). These companies operate three of the four major
Mexican mines, and 'many small producers, and if buying from individuals is.
included the National Lead Company now controls up to 90 per Cent of the
industry. The ownership of these companies formerly consisted largely of
British capital and some American, with a smaller share awned by'MeXicanS)
mainly the Madera brothers of?Mexioo City. The British capital was Cookson
and Company,-Newcastle-on-Tyne, England a firm which first initiated opera-
tions In the lead smelting industry in 1704 and started antimony smelting in
England about l82, using imported ores. RepubliCan Mining and Metal- Company,
also an affiliate of Texas Mining and Smelting leases its properties to the
aforementioned companies whose operations are reported below.
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Compania Minera y Refinadora Mexicana, SA.
Bernal Unit operates the Santa Maria de Miera
mine located in the Toliman District, Queretaro.
Durango Unit operates Many small deposits near
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Semberete, Zacatecas and west of Torreon.
Maroma Unit operates the, Lagunita mine and several
Small properties near Matohuela,. SanJ_Juie Potosi
.Pacheco -Unit - operates a group of small minoe-near
Pacheco and another group east of the city of Zacatecas.
Sonora Unit - operates small mines scattered in south-
eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua,
Wadley Unit - operates the San Jose, mines in southern
Catorce District of sall Luis Potosi.
Compania Minera de Oaxaca,S.A. ?-? A large share of this
company is held by the Madera brothers of Mexico City.
Tejocotes Mine - located 15-miles west of Tlaxiaco,
Oaxaca. This and Refinadora's Santa Maria de Miera are
Mexico's two largest producing mines.
Chicahuaxtla District - located 13 miles South of Tejocotes.
The company has many properties. in the district.
? .YUcunicoco District - located 6 miles Southwest of Tejocotes,
the company's properties have important reserves,
Cabrillas District located 3 tiles northwest of Tejocotes,
the company owns several small deposits.
Compania Minera de Cerro Negro S.A. This,cempany'is affiliated with
Cia. Refinadora and Cia. Oaxaca .but the exact tide have not been
reported. Properties near Tulancingo,. Puebla, were leased by Cia.
Cerro Negro in, Oetober 1938.
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? 4A,77.,-/i'avy-.0cci/eRewc-
?. , - .
? -
Based on map of Mexico prepared
(by American Geographical Society
INDEX MAP OF .MEXICO
? ? . .
. . , -...... -. ,
.13:iateo /h.f.WV r onme"./Yinriva 7 letoheeig Iskver.evroz,1%-irmizot.Iz.v.o:re-eiem
. . Approximate scale , , ? ' ? .'...,?.........
100
lii10 . ..:?."*) Miles
. .
i
: _1,004 00PW.P.00TNI14161 (160:4 ' '''''
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?
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? MAP 3 , MEXIM.-ANTIMONY DEPOSITS
INDEX
No.
on
No.on
-Yap
OAXACA STATE
14.
12,
10,
13.
11.
8.
9.
CHIHUAHUA STATE
-
78.
77.
74.
. 75.
72.
73.
76.
Adargas
Los Trenes'
Naica -
,Nuevo :Vesuvius
.Santa Rosalia
VallecilloS'
Virginia:
CO,AHUILA STATE
Guienagate
Llano de San Vicente
Lbs TejocOtes
San Felipe del Agua
Santos Reyes-Princesa
Tuauyo,Estrella-Union
Jucunicoco
pUEBLA STATE
18.
Los Homes
61.
Chetzalan
80.
Tulcingo
TURANGOZTATE,
QUERETARO STATE
16.
17.
Inde,
Quien Sabe;.7Perdida'
58.
Bernal
1.5.
San Bernardo .
57.
Cadereyta
55.
SovOtal
C-UANAJUATO STATE
56:
Yitarron
54.
Pena Miller
aio LUIS POTO6I STATE
52.
San JOse
53.
XiChu
46.
Cabucoco
29.
Catorce'
GUERRERO STATE
32._
Catorae Real
30.
Cedral
67.
Buena Suerte
41.,
Charcas
65.
E1 Negro .
47.
Cuevas de Coronado
63,
El Palmarudo
51.
El Rayon
68.
Escalecava
49.
Guadalcanal
64.
Huitzuc0
35..
Guadalupe
69.
Las Vinatas ." -
45.
La Amarilla
66.
Li.,ria-SirenaSta Lucia
40,
La CardionCita
62.
PiriohahuastO
42.
'La Perla
71.
Tlacotepec
34... 'Matanzas
70.
Zona de Tenantla
36,
Fatehuala
EICHOACAN STATE
44.,
48
Minas de Antimonio
Peron Blanco?
59.
Sierra de Tlalpujahua
50%,
31.
Reotill4P
Potosi-Jacalera
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IvIAP-3 =TOO?ANTIMONY DEPOSITS(Continued)
SAN LUIS:POTOSI STATE ':(ContIA)
28. .5E?:11 Antonio
43. San Felipe
37. San Jose-Custom-El Pastor
33. San Jose de los Godornides
? 38.: 8anta Domingo:
.39, Tierra Blanca
soNoaA MITE
6, Antimonio,
7, Ari7,pe..
2, Cananea
1., Linena-Piedra Azul
4. Magdalena,
3. Moreno Fines
5. hui
LCATECAS STATE.
26. FreStillo
21.: Independencia
27. La,Calderona
l9 1azapil
25, Noria
22. Paehedo
24. hefugio
23, si..exlva A ufre.
20. Tanger
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MINOR WORLD PRODUCERS
Peru
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Antimony ores have been mined in Peru sinee 1915 with production
during the last ten yeas averaging more than 1,000 tons of metal content
annually. The peak year of production was.1943 when 2.,472 tots,. recoverable
metal ?content..of ores, were produced. Before the war the United. States
and UK were the principal buYers of Peruvian concentrates with the United
States Comtercial Company taking the entire output ddring the war. Peru is
now shipping the major part of its production to these two countries.
Antimony bars 78 per cent antimony and 15 per cent lead, and antimonial
lead with 5 to 6 per cent antimony are 'produced at the La Oroya smelter.
Production has come from 70 small mines scatt3red through seven
departments but mainly in the Department of Puno, Irregular ore shoots of
stibnite oceur?in quartz veins traversing belts of date and schist. The
nines arc worked by primitive methods without mechanical equipment and the
deposits are generally lower grade than those of Bolivia. The Bueno Suerte
-mite of the Negaciacion Minera Buono Suerte of Azagaro 60 miles north of
JUliaca, is believed to be the largest producer, but the itdividual ore
' bbdies being mined are small.
Peruvian production could be doubled by guaranteeing a fair set price
by small loans to individual miners against monthly production, and by
technical assistance. Transportation facilities are very poor and costs .
are high, precluding exploitation Of several important. prospects. The
country's antimony mines are working at only 4 fraction of Potential.
Although most of the concentrates are exported, an important part
of. production ie smelted locally atla Oroya smelter of the Cerro de
Pasco Corporation where a special recovery plant Wft8 completed in August,
1942. Peak year of smelter prOduction was 1943 when 805 tOns of antimony
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bars averaging 95.3 per cent antimony and 63 tons'of antimeny in antimonial
lead bars were produced.'
Argentina
The yearly output of antimony from Argentine mines seldom exceeds more
than 100 tons. Since ainual consumption of antimony is more than 200 tons,
antimony concentrates or metal must be imported to make up this deficiency.
Exports reported from Argentina originate in the southern section of Bolivia s
antimony belt. -Argentine ttatistics do net differentiate as to origin.
Before the war China, Belgium and the UKsuppli2d regulUe to Argentine
ConsUmors. Tho National Lead Company produdes small quantities of antimony
each Year as a byodUct of lead smelting. ,lieweVer', this company now
purchases more than 100 tons of concentrates annually from Bolivia for the
manufacture of antimonial lead. The largest produaer of antimony ore in
Argentina is the El Pabellon mine located in Ceres Gcandos, Department of
Rinconada Province of Jujuy, owned by Jose Bach. There are several other
properties in the area but the individual deposits are small. Argentina
could 'S\upply its own requirements if necessary, but its potential is not
important.
Honduras
Antimony mining in Honduras began in 19140, but production has never been
important amounting to only 110 tons, recoverable metal content of ore,
in 1943, the peak year. Most of the output has come from the El Quetzal mine,
near San Augustin de Copan, owned by Manuel Pueso and Rudolfo Nater. The
,ore was mined by hand from open cuts, hand?picked and a stibnite concentrate
averaging 58 to 62 per cent exported to the US by way of Guatemala. This
concentrate had to be transported a considerable distance over mountains by
burro. Due to the high cost of transport and inefficient mining methods the
mine was reported to have shut down in 1946. Tc owners are planning to
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exploit other less remote depoits and hope to install a plant for treating
the ore in Honduras to alleviate the high cost of transport.
Some production has also been reported by the La Union mine,
Department of Olancho, owned by Elcazon Vargas, and four other properties,
' as well-as? from the concentrates of the Agua Fa goldmine., There are
many occurrences of stibnite in the .country, but they are typically small
1
and irregular. TOOD tranSport hinders their development, btt should this bc
remedied) the US still could not depend on Honduras for more than a Very
sMall part of its supply,
Canada
With the advent of World War II and the subsequent shortage of supply,
attempts were made to increase dom'estic production. The peak year was
1941 when 1,329. tons were produced. The only producer of consequence was
.:the Consolidated Mining and Smelting CompanY1 extracting antimony from flue
dust recovered at the company lead smelter at Trail, British Columbia.
Production fluctuates considerably and in 1947 was about a third of Canada's
estimated consumption of about 1,000 tons. To augment this supply Canada has
-imported antimonY from China and the US.
There are many stibnite occurrences in, Canada, but these are small and
low grade requiring costly method"Sof mining and are, therefore 'uneconomical.
In the event of an extreme emergen0y Canada could supply its own requirements
/at high cost from deposits in New T3tunSwick) Quebec, Ontario and British
Columbia.
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is now the only important producer of antimony
ore in Africa. .Ore has been mined in the Murchison. Range of Transvaal since
1913. The 19)17 output totaled S813 metric tons of concentrates containing
3,020 tons Of antimony, and the 1948 output increased to 3,700 tons of
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contain8d antimony. The ores are principally werked for their gold 'content,
the Concentrates being exportpd,to the:UK and Small amounts to Australia and
the US for treatment. Local demand is very small, amounting to only a few.
tons. Most of the production is hand,cobbed 'ore and flotation concentrates
containing up to 60 per sent antimony from the Monarch, Union Jack., and:
Weigel Mines of the Consolidated Murchison Goldfields and Development'
CoMpany in the Petersburg District of Eastern Transvaal. These are -
principally gold mines and are Well-equipped mechanically. In 1946 the
company overhauled its machinery and modernized its concentrating plant in
an attempt to increase its antimonY output and at the same time began an
extensive development program te block out its antimony reserves to maintain
a constant mill feed, increasing production and taking advantage of the high
price of antimony. In 1946 tons milled, totaled 92)0,20; from 'which 11,708
ounces of gold and 2,330 tons of antimeny were recoNeed..
Improvements in mining and milling have placed the South African mines
in a-favorable position even in the event of a highly competitive market.
Australia
Although production of antimony in Australia ranged as high as 1,052
tons in 1942, the entire output is:: consumed within the country. Most of
the production comes from the NilUna and the Moonlight mines in Western
'Australia where stibnite occurs in gold or. Also varying amounts are
mined in straight antimony ores scattered throughout the Country and some
antimony is recovered as a by-product of lead smelting. The Stibnite ores
are smelted at the plant of 0. T. LemPiere & Company, Ltd., Sidney,'N.S.M.,
and antimonial lead, is produced by the Electrolytic Refining and Smelting
Company, Port Kembla, N.S.W., from antimonial slag resulting from smelting
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of lead ores? Although Australia has numerous antimony occurrences the
isolated location of many-9f the deposits and the shortage of labor will
prevent the country fromq)eing an important contender in the world market.
Yugoslavia
In 1940, Yugoslavia was the fourth largest producer of antimony in
the world with a production of 4,800 tons, metal content, approximately
13 per cent of the world's output. During the war, Yugoslavia was the
chief source of supply for Germanyrbut exact statistics for the war
years are lacking. Yugoslavia is:normally the chief supplier of antimony
for the palkanS.
The-main mines are confined to the Department eP Drinska near Krupanj
and Ivanjica. Almost three-fourths!of the country's production prior to
the war came from the Stolica mines ithen owned by the Podrinje nnes, Ltd.,
and Maglish company. The company 9Wned a smelt-r at Kr-lenj which was
completely modernized in 1938.
When the war startel German interests acquired the Lisanki mine near
Drinska and completed .a Imelter with an annual capacity of 900 tons of
metal. .This mine was reported to,have large estimated reserves. Abut
:the same time the ?Zacaja mines neat Krupanj were taken over by the Getman
controlled "Montania A.G.". Explorations by the Germans indicated large
0 tonnages Of possible ore, so the cempany constructed a small smelter at
Loznica.
Three 'smelters 'were repaired in 19.46 hut recent data on the
activities of the Yugoslav antimony industry are ribt available at this time.
Czechoslovakia
Normally domestic production of antimony- is just' sufficient to, meet'
domstic requirements hut the output was stepped up during the war to help
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C.
meet German demands. The CUcina tine in dbUthert EleVakia was the largest.
producer before the war, accounting for 6P-thirds of the country's production
which totalled 800'tons in 1938; The remaindero.during that year, was a by-
product from the 1ead.r8i1Ver mine at l'ribram. The ore from the Cucina
mine .was smelted at the company plant at Vajskova.
1.
Italy
Until 1938 domestic mines fell far short of supplying domestic'require-
ments estimated at 1,000 tons but in that year prOduction reached a peak
of 851 tons of antimony. The Su Suergiu mine near Villasalto, Sardinia,
owned by the S. A. Minieree Tonderie di.Antimonio, has been the major
ProdUcer for nearly 40 years. The ore is hand;-sorted to 16 per cent '
antimony and smelted in the compays plant. Two other producers are the
CortiiRosas mine near Balla?, 12 miles north of the Su Suergiu, and the
Santa Rosa mine near Valdarnol Tuscany. Itis reported that these
mines could supply all domestic. demands, if necessary-.
Austria
The country's ol4put.comes from mines at,:Schilsining in Styria
Capacity is belioVed to be 750 tons of antimony content annually.: The ore
was shipped for processing to metal to the Herzog Julius Smeltpr at Goslar,
Germany's only aitimony smelter. This plant consumed 2,000 tons of sulfide
. ores, 40 per cent antimony, annually during the war. Most of this tonnage
came from Austria with minor amounts from Hungary and Yugoslavia, both of
1/./hiQh treat most of their own output.
France
The peak year of production during the, war Was 1943 when 153 tons,
.? antimony content, were mined.. This output comes from small deposits in
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the Department of Mayentie in the northwetern part of.France. The 'French:
deposits are becoming eXhausted, the Ore is 10W grade and production
costs are high. The antiMOny )ore produced is ustally consumed in the
manufacture of antimony oxide. Important quantities of antimony ,metal are
being imported from Algeria and MOrOcco, as well as concentrates from
Bolivia,. ;to supply French demands. .
-Algeria
'Algerian production reached a wartime peak in 1943 when .902 tons, ,
rocoverable-metal?content of ore, were mined. ? The principal 'deposits are.
?situated northwest. 'of Ain Beida in the Province of Constantine. The deposits
have been worked for many years; the tonnage of high grade ores is' believed
to belimited, but substantial quantities Of low grade ores remain that can
be. worked stccessfullyat-high'prices, The ore is smelted locally and
shipped to.-France:to augment France s small supply:.
- -Spain
Antimony ore is mined at Villarbacu in Lugo Province by Antimonids
Espanoles, at Almuradiel in Ciudad Real by Metals de?Espana, from numerous .
smail mines in Cordobal'and from mines of the Cia. de Beni Mezala in.
Spanish M6r0epOi The total production is. smallbut sufficient to fulfill,
Spanish requirements of 200 tons a year. ,Th_ reserves are not believed to
be large enough for extensive production. There are tmd .smelters in Spain,
?
ote in Bilbao and another in Alturadiel, owned by Lipperheide y Guzman..
Turke
Production of antitony ore reached a wartime peak of 600 tons
(recoverable metal content of ore) in 1942 but has dropped considerably since
thattim;:; due to the lack of a market and the accumulation of stocks amounting
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to 700 tons of ore containing about 20 gi 35 per cent antimony. The two
principal deposits are near Turhal in north central Turkey. One of the
properties is owned by the Eti Bank and the other by Ozd-mir Antimuan, Ltd.
The ore is stibnite occurring in veins and stringers cutting crystalline
schists.
Japan
The production of antimony in Japan reached a wartime peak of 423 tons
in the fiscal year ending March:31, .1945. .,japanls wartime demands were
supplied by. small amounts from Burma, Indo-china, Korea, Manchuria, and by
smuggling metal and ore from China. The Nakase mine of Nakase Mining Company
in Hyogo Prefecture and the Ichinokowa mine of the Ichinokowa Mining, Company
in Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku Island have been consistent producers for
many years..
_ads reported that the Japahese often substituted tin, of which they
had an oversupply, for Several uSes of antimony during the war.
USSR
Although antimony deposits have been reported in scattered localities
in the USSR, specific information on the Soviet production of antimony,
as well as many other metals, is lacking. The US Bureau of Mines does not
include the USSR in its world production table because reliable estimates
of production are not available, but it is likely that new properties brought
into production by intensive prospecting and development work are supplying
all of the domestic requirements. Imports in 1937 totaled 1,091 tons of
which 860 tons came from China, 127 from Belgium and 103 from Czechoslovakia.
Under a barter agreement with China the USSR received 5,950 tons of antimony
metal'during 19381 25534 ton 0 in ;1939, and 1 315 tons, in 1940. This decline
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in imports at.a time when USSR Was phoandi6 industrially would appear t
? be evidence of an increasing prodUetiohl At the same time conSumPtion also
must have been increasing, stiMulated by growing industrial requirements
and later by accelerated military needs. Annual peacetime consumption of
? antimony in the USSR is believed to ber about 6,000 Metric tons including
secondary.
About 11500 ton 8 of antimony concentrates, were produced annually from
the Razdolninskoe deposit in the Krasnoyarsk district Of Western Siberia
before the war. This tonnage was treated in a local smelter. Substantial.
quantities of antimony ores are reported to have been mined at the Kadamdzai-
skoe Mine located along the Shakhitarden River south of Fergana on the
northern side of the Alaiskiy Range in the Osh Oblast of Kirgiz. The ore
averages 2 to it per cent antimony and the -concentrates ar6 smelted bY the
1
antimony-mercury combine of Im-Frunze in Kirgiz. Mining is believed to,
have started in 1934.
Antimony is mined at Turgai in Kazakhstan from a deposit containing
livingstonite, an antimony-Mercury ,sulfide, yielding both antimony and
mercury. ;Only one otherdeposit of livingstonite has been. exploited commer-
cially., that is at Nuitzuco, Guerrero, Mexico.
Other deposits of antimony ores have been reported at Aramasheveskoe
in the Urals and at Nalchik and Tyrny-Auz in the Caucasus at Alden
Boguchanskoe, and Leninskoe in the Far East. Probably the widespread
geological studies that the Soviet government has carried out ih recent years
? have revealed other deposits in these areas, as well as several new localities.
Therefore, self-sufficiency probably can be attained even with increasing
consumption, for it must be remembered that the Soviet government does not
consider cost as a factor in mining and under such conditions uneconomical
low grade deposits are often ekploited to become independent of foreign
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sources: not only wasting 6apitn1 but 4o labor which could be directed.
to more constructive OCCupatiens,
Large quantities of antimonial lead scrap probably have been shipped
into the USSR from the Satellite countries and Germany, which together with
domestic secondary should be sufficient to meet the antimoniaI lead require-
ments of the USSR for storage batteries, cable-and sheet, There may be a
small surplus of primary or secondary antimony available for stockpiling, if
domestic deposits are producin7 at wartime rate. Various estimates indicate
the .Deserves of the depositF controlled by the Im-Frunze combine are
sufficient to supply the entire country for more than fifteen years if
necessary.
The Satellite countries, Rungary?-Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia have
a combined capacity of about, 11,000 metrie tons of primary antimony a year.
Pr sent production of these countries is not known; but if the output of
these 'countries is less than half of capacity, the USSR has available a
.surplus supply of antimony. Yet the USSR still, is receiving shipments from
China,
For several years antimony has -b-en included With tungeten in the
trade agreements between China and the USSR, and from 1938 tp 1948,
inclusive, about 13,000 metric tons were shipped, Agreements have been
,made whereby-the USSR is to receive at least 1,000 tons annually from China.
until 1952. It the same time the US is also:pUrchasing antimony in China.
Whatever the USSR is receiving, reduces the US' supply by an equal amount.
Antimony is alsobelieved to be smuggled out of China to the USSR. In view
of the USSR'S increase in production of secondary antimony from scrap, and
the probability that domestic production,: chiefly of the Tm-Frunze Combine,
has risen,,: the antimony from China, as well as some of the tonnage from the
Satellites) appears to be for stockpile purposes.
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Document No.
NO CHANGE in Class. Ei
DECLASSIFIED
$
Class. C-!A--7D TO: TS
DA remo, 4 Apr 77
Auth: tDA 7-) 'C. 77/1763
ty: ______
Date:
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