nt antimony-producing country in the
world, and normally supplies over half the world's total. Chinese
antimony is exported in part as antimony crude (lumps of needle-like
antimony sulphide), and in part as antimony regulus, which is about 99
per cent pure metal. France was the only other important source of
antimony before the war (25 to 30 per cent of the world production), and
Mexico and Hungary produced small amounts. The large demand for antimony
occasioned by the war, besides stimulating production in these
countries, brought forth important amounts of antimony ore from Algeria
(French control) and from Bolivia and Australia (British control), as
well as smaller quantities from several other countries. Of the
war-developed sources, only Algeria and perhaps Australia are expected
to continue production under normal conditions.

Before the war, antimony was smelted chiefly in China, England, and
France, and to a lesser extent in Germany. British and French commercial
and smelting interests dominated to a considerable extent the world
situation, and London was the principal antimony market of the world.

During the war Chinese antimony interests were greatly strengthened, and
facilities for treating the ore in that country were increased. Japan
also became important as a smelter and marketer of Chinese ore, and
increasing quantities of antimony were exported from China and Japan
directly to the United States. English exports ceased entirely and were
replaced in this country by Chinese and Japanese brands.

The United States normally consumes about one-third of the world's
antimony. Before the war the entire amount was secured by importation,
two-thirds from Great Britain and the rest from the Orient, France, and
other European countries. Domestic production of ore and smelting of
foreign ores were negligible. (These statements refer only to the purer
forms of antimony; the United States normally produces considerable
amounts of antimonial lead, equivalent to somewhat less than 5 per cent
of the country's total lead production, but this material cannot be
substituted for antimony regulus in most of its uses.)

During the war, under the stimulus of rising prices, mining of antimony
was undertaken in the United States and several thousand tons of metal
were produced--principally from Nevada, with smaller amounts from
Alaska, California, and other western states. The great demands for
antimony, however, were met chief