China convicts 27 people for smuggling 166 tons of critical chipmaking element antimony — heavily-restricted mineral used for semiconductor manufacturing exported without licenses, court decides

A court in China has convicted 27 people for illegal shipment of antimony ingots out of the country without mandatory export licenses. The ruling was delivered by the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court, which sentenced the main defendant, Wang Wubin, to 12 years in prison and a fine of 1 million Yuan ($141,899).

According to a court statement, the crimes took place in February and March, during which more than 166 metric tons of antimony were smuggled; Chinese customs have seized over 96 tons. Investigators found that Wang conspired with overseas smugglers and local accomplices to buy antimony ingots and smuggle them out of China using concealment, mislabeling, and false customs declarations. The remaining 26 defendants were penalized with fines and prison sentences ranging from four months to five years, based on the volume of the metal smuggled and the degree of involvement.

Antimony is a strategic mineral used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, electronic chips, batteries, flame retardants, and defense-related applications. It is primarily used as a dopant in silicon for diodes and transistors or alloyed with Indium or Gallium for high-mobility infrared detectors, Hall-effect sensors, and solar cells.

China lifted the ban on exports of various strategic minerals, including gallium, germanium, and antimony, to the United States last month. The decision was part of the recent bilateral talks between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, which were enforced on November 9, 2025, and is set to expire on November 27, 2026.

While the decision covered several important materials, including certain graphite products and rare-earth technologies, which were part of China’s export control list, it did not eliminate the requirement for licenses. Exporters still had to obtain government approvals before shipping these materials, allowing China to maintain control over supply chains.

The smuggling case is reportedly linked to recent developments, including the seizure of a large consignment of antimony ingots by Hong Kong authorities in April. However, no arrests were made during that time. Similarly, an ‘unusually large’ volume of antimony had reportedly entered the United States via Thailand and Mexico in July, after China had suspended direct shipments to the US last year.

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