EU seeks immediate U.S. tariff relief and ‘stand-still’ pledge in trade talks
The European Union is pressing Washington to roll back punitive tariffs on its exports and to promise no new duties, a senior law-maker said on Wednes...
Shipments of antimony to the United States have jumped to more than 3,800 tonnes in five months via Thailand and Mexico, customs data show, as buyers find back-door routes around Beijing’s export ban on critical minerals bound for the U.S.
Unusually large cargoes of antimony oxides began arriving in American ports in December, days after China barred direct exports of the battery- and chip-making metal to the U.S.
Reuters analysis of official customs figures shows 3,834 tonnes entered from Thailand and Mexico between December and April—exceeding almost the previous three years combined.
Trade records reviewed by Reuters link most of the Thai volumes to Unipet Industries, a subsidiary of Chinese producer Youngsun Chemicals. Unipet shipped about 3,366 tonnes of antimony products to the U.S. in that period, roughly 27 times the year-earlier level. The declared buyer was Texas-based Youngsun & Essen, which had previously sourced material direct from China. None of the companies responded to requests for comment.
Neither Thailand nor Mexico mines meaningful quantities of antimony and each has only a single smelter, according to consultancy RFC Ambrian. Their sudden prominence—both leapt into the top three destinations for Chinese antimony exports this year—points to trans-shipment, said industry analysts.
“The pattern is consistent with Chinese suppliers relabelling goods en route to avoid licensing rules,” said Ram Ben Tzion of shipment-vetting platform Publican.
China’s commerce ministry has acknowledged that “overseas entities” are colluding with domestic actors to dodge the controls, vowing tougher penalties that can include prison terms of more than five years for serious smuggling offences. The ministry did not reply to Reuters questions.
U.S. law does not prohibit American companies from buying the minerals if they come indirectly from China.
Executives at two U.S. firms told Reuters they continue to receive gallium supplied through third countries, with shipments sometimes relabelled as iron, zinc or even art supplies to escape scrutiny.
Beijing’s challenge now is to enforce its export-control regime without undermining its own refiners, who risk losing market share if global buyers embed alternative channels according to experts. “Policy is the easy part; policing is much harder,” Ben Tzion said.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged stronger sanctions and defence support for Ukraine as the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia nears approval.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,500-year-old city in northern Peru that likely served as a key trade hub connecting ancient coastal, Andean, and Amazonian cultures.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Union is pressing Washington to roll back punitive tariffs on its exports and to promise no new duties, a senior law-maker said on Wednesday, as negotiators race to finalise a framework accord by 1 August.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Wednesday that Russia committed multiple breaches of international law in Ukraine — including responsibility for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 — its first such verdict since Moscow’s 2022 invasion.
From launching 25% duties on Mexican goods in February to unveiling a 50% levy on imported copper on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump has fired off a rapid-fire series of tariff moves that has jolted financial markets and unsettled global supply chains.
Monday, 7 July, was another extremely hot day in Japan. A strong heatwave hit the country, and Tokyo recorded its highest temperature so far this year.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit North Korea from 11th to 13th July, - Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced during a press briefing today.
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