Tajikistan’s state-owned Tajik Aluminium Company (Talco – pictured) and Chinese company Tibet Huayu Mining have entered into a joint venture on a new $200 million gold and antimony mining project in Tajikistan. The project is expected to produce 1.5 t/y of gold and 16,000 t/y of antimony with commissioning set for 2020. In addition, China Nonferrous Gold has signed a mining contract at its Pakrut gold project in Takikistan, which also hosts antimony mineralisation.

Roskill’s view is that “Chinese imports of antimony concentrates are increasing, countering in part, the effects of decreasing domestic production as well as more stringent environmental regulations that have led to mine closures. Tajikistan is one of the major producers and sources of antimony outside of China, mostly from the Anzob mine. Much of the concentrate is sent to China where antimony is processed, predominantly for use in flame retardants.