Is China's Antimony Resource Advantage Diminishing?

Antimony, as a critical raw metal, is considered a strategic mineral resource to China. However, in recent years, China's antimony ore production has significantly declined, suggesting that the country's antimony resource advantage may be weakening. To investigate this perspective, this study systematically examines the evolution of global antimony trade patterns and changes in China's antimony resource advantage, based on trade data for four key antimony products from 1994 to 2024. The analysis employs complex network theory and industrial analysis methods, incorporating metrics such as trade value, industrial concentration, oligopoly indices, and network topology indicators. The findings reveal that the global antimony trade exhibits characteristics of an oligopolistic market. While China has maintained a long-term export advantage in antimony oxides and finished antimony products, its competitiveness in antimony ores and lead-antimony alloys remains weak, presenting an overall pattern characterized by strength in downstream segments and weakness in mid- and upstream segments. China's antimony resource advantage has shifted from being "resource-driven" to "processing-driven," with its resource endowment advantage weakening while its advantage in high-value-added downstream segments has become more prominent.