United States Antimony Corp (NYSEAMERICAN: UAMY) has initiated a joint venture partnership with Americas Gold and Silver Corporation (TSE: USA) (NYSEAMERICAN: USAS) (FRA: SZ71) aimed at boosting their operational capabilities and strengthening America’s grip on critical minerals.
Announced on Feb. 10, the companies will work together to construct an advanced hydrometallurgical processing facility in Idaho’s Silver Valley mining region. It will sit adjacent to Americas’ Galena Complex — an operation primarily focused on silver that also produces significant quantities of antimony and copper.
Ores containing these metals and critical mineral will be processed at the future plant, promising higher recoveries and lower costs compared to current methods. It is slated to become the first commercial-scale facility of its kind, building on the success of another set up by US Antimony in Bolivia.
“This is a transformational deal,” said Americas Chairman Paul Andre Huet in an interview with Bloomberg on Feb 11. “They are the experts in the antimony world and we’re the experts in the mining world.”
Antimony, a major focus of the JV that is essential for military tech, flame retardants, batteries and semiconductors, has witnessed wild price swings alongside silver. The commodity hit a historic high last July at approximately US$59,750 per tonne before sliding down to its current value of about US$34,815 per tonne — still well above pre-2024 averages.
Eased Chinese export curbs and market adjustments have brought the metalloid’s price down considerably in recent months. Nonetheless, general sentiment among analysts predicts a gradual upward trend over the next couple of years, propelled by strategic stockpiling and limited refining capacity.
This volatility highlights the timeliness of the joint venture. Americas ramped up its antimony output to 561,000 pounds last year at Galena, thereby setting the stage for processing profits.
“There is no AI race, data storage center race, robotics race, space race, or weapons race without the critical minerals that power them!” said US Antimony on X this week.
Read more: NevGold expands Bullet Zone discovery as drilling confirms oxide gold-antimony system
News comes on back of UAMY rally and record Americas production
US Antimony surged by 7 per cent the day the announcement was made, reflecting investor intrigue about the venture’s money-making potential.
The stock has observed impressive gains this year, rising by 61 per cent year-to-date and 324 per cent within the past 365 days.
Meanwhile, Americas delivered record production last year with 2.65 million ounces of silver as the metal has continued to capture attention with its immense gains. The quantity represents a 52 per cent year-over-year jump, largely driven by the company’s Cosalá Operations in Sinaloa, Mexico.
The new partnership is further amplified by Americas’ December acquisition of the Crescent Mine near Galena, which will serve as an additional feed source for the soon-to-be-established hydromet plant in the Silver Valley.
The consensus share target for $USA among analysts is approximately C$13.25.
Expanding the antimony landscape
As the United States hones its focus on antimony amid geopolitical turmoil, this newly established joint venture complements efforts by other industry players like NevGold Corp (CVE: NAU) (OTCMKTS: NAUFF) (FRA: 5E50), Perpetua Resources Corp (TSE: PPTA) (NASDAQ: PPTA) and American Tungsten & Antimony Ltd (OTCMKTS: ATALF) (FRA: 4VZ).
Notably, NevGold recently intercepted high-grade oxide antimony (Sb) at its Limousine Butte project in Nevada. Assays yielded up to 5.89 per cent Sb over 3 metres. NevGold’s discoveries, including potential near-term production from historic leach pads containing up to 3 million tonnes of material, bolster the national push for secure “made in the USA” critical minerals.
American Tungsten & Antimony’s successful production of antimony ingots this month and the importance of ongoing development at Perpetua’s Stibnite gold project also cannot be understated.
Advancements like these position the industry for robust growth, helping to mitigate supply risks while creating jobs and stimulating the domestic economy.
Read more: NevGold Corp. advances toward gold-antimony resource with expanded Nevada drilling
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