Weak Price of Antimony Metal at Overseas

Antimony metal price is weak at overseas market, which is used as flame retardant for plastic. London Metal Bulletin values antimony metal at US$ 5,350 per tonne currently, which is the indicator for the international antimony price. LMB price declined by 7% from US$ 5,750 in late April, the highest price since December 1994.International antimony price maintained flat at US$ 3,850 per tonne from September 2005 to the beginning of 2006. The price jumped up after Chinese government reduced the export tax rebate from 8% to 5% in January. The metal price increased by around 50% toward late April. China is the largest antimony producer in the world.Antimony metal is raw material for antimony trioxide which is used as flame retardant for plastic, while consumed for auto batteries as well. The international price continued increasing from around US$ 1,000 per tonne in 2001 thanks to short ore supply worldwide and increasing domestic demand in China.