OLIN CORP. DL 1
Commented by Nico Popp on March 20th, 2026 | 08:15 CET
Defense Boom on Shaky Ground: Antimony Resources Reaps the Benefits, Risks at RTX and Olin
The defense industry is celebrating record orders, but supply chains for key raw materials reveal a structural weakness: the current defense boom is thus built on shaky ground. One example is the availability of the semimetal antimony. The US Geological Survey classifies antimony as a critical raw material, as there are no alternatives for its applications in modern defense technology. China controls an estimated 60 to 70% of global primary production and has recently dominated downstream processing through strict export controls on dual-use goods. This geopolitical instrumentalization of the raw material led to a price rally in which, according to media reports, antimony rose from USD 13,500 per ton in April 2024 to nearly USD 60,000 per ton at times. Rising prices are forcing the West to shift its focus to the beginning of the supply chain. Investors should shift their attention from the defense industry's multi-billion-dollar order books to securing raw materials, as the industry's giants depend on the development of secure North American deposits. This is where the still-small but promising company Antimony Resources comes into play.
Read