Asian Metal visits Xiangyun Transit Antimony Industry and Hongda Antimony Company

On 17-19 May, 2012, Annabella Xu, analyst of Minor Metals Dept in Asian Metal visited Xiangyun Transit Antimony Industry and Hongda Antimony Company and was invited to attend the Opening Ceremony of Xiongzhao Hotel which belongs to the same company with Xiangyun Transit Antimony Industry. There, Anabella Xu met many antimony producers, traders, and friendly communicated with them about the current antimony market situation.

On 18th May, Annabella Xu visited Hongda Antimony Company and met the general manager, Mr Tao Zhonghua. They freely and happily exchanged the ideas about the present antimony market and then Mr Zi Yingjun from Hongda Antimony Company showed Annabella Xu around their smelter and gave Annablle Xu a detailed introduction about their current status.

On 19th May, Annabella Xu as well as other antimony market insiders made a visit to Xiangyun Transit Antimony Industry, and then attended the Antimony Forum held in Xiangyun Transit Antimony Industry Co., Ltd.

Owing to the obvious deterioration trend of the European debt crisis, producers worry about the market outlook. China’s economy slows down, and the government continues to regulate the housing market. Rubber, glass, ceramics, polyester industries are affected, resulting in the overall weakening of the antimony demand. While the environmental rectification in antimony industry starting in late March 2010 regulated the disorder market and increase the barriers to entry into antimony industry, but also made antimony prices soar in 2010 and Q1 2011. The import price of overseas antimony ore increased, and producers’ production cost rose accordingly. While the demand from both China and international market has been weak since Q2 2011, so the price increase of antimony faces great pressure, however, owing to increased production cost, the price also has limited room to decrease.