China reacted to Trump tariffs by restricting bismuth exports, once again using their considerable ‘minerals processing leverage.’ In December 2024, China restricted exports of antimony, germanium, gallium, and superhard materials in response to U.S. chip export restrictions. I wrote about antimony then.
According to Wikipedia:
“Elemental bismuth occurs naturally, and its sulfide and
oxide forms are important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as
lead. It is a brittle metal with a silvery-white color when freshly produced.
Surface oxidation generally gives samples of the metal a somewhat rosy cast.
Further oxidation under heat can give bismuth a vividly iridescent appearance
due to thin-film interference. Bismuth is both the most diamagnetic element and
one of the least thermally conductive metals known.”
“{Bismuth compounds} are used in cosmetics; pigments; and a
few pharmaceuticals, notably bismuth subsalicylate, used to treat diarrhea.
Bismuth's unusual propensity to expand as it solidifies is responsible for some
of its uses, as in the casting of printing type. Bismuth, when in its elemental
form, has unusually low toxicity for a heavy metal. As the toxicity of lead and
the cost of its environmental remediation became more apparent during the 20th
century, suitable bismuth alloys have gained popularity as replacements for
lead. Presently, around a third of global bismuth production is dedicated to
needs formerly met by lead.”
Bismuth is also the active ingredient in over-the-counter
diarrhea medicines like Pepto-Bismol and Kao pectate. It is used in
formulations to treat several gastrointestinal disorders and microbial diseases
like shigellosis. It is also used as a pigment in cosmetics and for artistic
painters. A summary of its uses is given below. The U.S. Geological Survey
notes that recycled bismuth-containing alloy scrap is thought to compose up to
3% to 10% of U.S. bismuth consumption from 2020–2024.
The USGS also
notes that bismuth is rarely produced as a primary product. It is mostly
produced as a byproduct of other metals mining:
“Bismuth minerals rarely occur in sufficient quantities to
be mined as principal products; bismuth is produced most often as a byproduct
during the processing of lead ores. In China and Vietnam, bismuth is also
produced as a byproduct or coproduct of tungsten and other metal ore
processing. In Japan and the Republic of Korea, bismuth is produced as a
byproduct or coproduct of zinc ore processing. The Tasna Mine in Bolivia, which
has been inactive since 1996, and a mine in China are the only mines where bismuth
has been the primary product.”
Data Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Bloomberg reports
that there are non-Chinese companies hoping to ramp up bismuth production later
this decade:
“As the major supplier of bismuth to the world, China is
effectively shooting itself in the foot with export restrictions causing huge
spikes in the price that may incentivize customers to look for alternative
materials,” Robin Goad, chief executive officer of Fortune Minerals Ltd., which
aims to mine metals including bismuth later this decade, said in an interview.
“This is not good for the market over the longer term.”
The bottom line
is perhaps that we remain overly dependent on China for minerals and metals
processing/refining. For geopolitical purposes, we are orienting toward less
dependency on China, domestic metals production, and buying refined metals from
alternative suppliers. However, it takes money and time to ween ourselves from
Chinese metals refining dominance.
References:
A
Critical Metal Jumps 500% After Xi Replies to Trump Tariffs. Bloomberg News.
March 21, 2025. A
Critical Metal Jumps 500% After Xi Replies to Trump Tariffs
Bismuth.
U.S. Geological Survey. 2025. mcs2025.pdf
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025
Bismuth.
Wikipedia. Bismuth - Wikipedia
Bismuth
Facts – Bi or Atomic Number 83. Anne Helmenstine (updated on February 26, 2025).
Science Notes. Bismuth
Facts - Bi or Atomic Number 83
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