Sept 23 (Reuters) - United States Antimony Corporation ( UAMY )

said on Tuesday it has secured a sole-source, five-year

contract worth up to $245 million from the U.S. Defense

Logistics Agency to supply antimony metal ingots for the defense

stockpile.

The new contract underscores a broader Trump administration

effort to shore up U.S. supply chains for strategic materials

amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing dependence on

foreign sources, particularly China.

President Donald Trump has taken a series of executive and

policy actions aimed at securing U.S. access to critical

minerals, citing national security and economic independence.

Antimony - used in munitions, batteries, flame retardants,

and military-grade compounds - has been flagged by defense

officials as a vulnerability in the U.S. industrial base.

"It's incredibly meaningful for all our employees to play

such a strategic role in strengthening our nation's defense

readiness," USAC CEO Gary C. Evans said in a statement.

USAC, which operates North America's only two antimony

smelters, is positioned to begin immediate fulfillment from its

domestic facilities, with the first delivery order expected this

week, the company said.

The contract follows months of negotiations and builds on a

growing partnership between USAC and the Department of Defense

that accelerated in late 2024.