Archive · 16 Dec 2025
China Jails 27 for Smuggling Antimony Ingots
A Chinese court has sentenced 27 people to prison and fines for smuggling antimony, a special metal used in batteries and other important things.
The main person, Wang Wubin, got 12 years in jail and a big fine.
They tried to send the metal out of China without permission.
China has rules to control who can export this metal, and they are catching people who break these rules.
The court said they seized a lot of the smuggled metal.
This shows that China is serious about enforcing its rules on important minerals.
A Chinese court sentenced 27 people for smuggling antimony ingots without export licences.
Wang Wubin, the main defendant, received a 12-year prison sentence and a 1 million yuan fine.
The smuggling involved over 166 metric tons of antimony, with 96 tons seized by Chinese customs.
The case highlights China's tightening enforcement of export controls on strategic minerals.
China added antimony to its export control list in September 2024, following a ban on exports to the United States.
- Who
- 27 people, including Wang Wubin, were sentenced for smuggling antimony ingots.
- What
- The defendants were convicted of smuggling antimony ingots without export licences.
- When
- The smuggling occurred in February and March 2024, and the sentencing was on December 16, 2024.
- Where
- The smuggling involved shipments out of China, with some seized in Hong Kong.
- Why
- China has imposed export controls on strategic minerals like antimony, which is used in various industries including the defence sector.
- Number of Defendants
- 27
- Main Defendant
- Wang Wubin
- Main Defendant's Sentence
- 12 years in prison
- Main Defendant's Fine
- 1 million yuan ($141,899)
- Total Smuggled Antimony
- 166 metric tons
- Antimony Seized by Chinese Customs
- 96 metric tons
- Date of Smuggling
- February and March 2024
- Export Control List Addition Date
- September 2024