When Beijing turns the tap
Serge Ferrari flags supply risks
When people think of technical textiles, they usually think of architecture, solar shading, outdoor applications, façades, furniture and marine use. They think of fire ratings, certificates, colour, touch and durability. They rarely think of antimony, a grey metalloid hidden somewhere in the formulation and suddenly powerful enough to decide whether a European manufacturer can keep producing properly.
That is the point in the case of Serge Ferrari. According to Sébastien Baril, president of the French specialist in flexible composite membranes and technical textiles, the company was apparently much closer to an industrial danger zone in 2024 than outsiders could have known. At a recent MEDEF Isère roundtable in Grenoble, Baril said, according to mesinfos, that the antimony shock had had an impact of around €30 million on the group. In essence: without action, that could have been the end.
That sounds dramatic. But it is not merely dressed-up crisis talk for a local French business event. Antimony is used in technical applications including flame-retardant systems. That hits a manufacturer whose products are present in solar protection, tensile architecture, modular structures and furniture and marine applications. In those markets, safety, standards and performance are not decoration. They are the ticket to play.
The wider frame is China. Beijing announced export controls for antimony-related products in August 2024, effective from 15 September 2024. Exporters have needed licences since then. China accounted for almost half of global antimony production in 2023. Reuters reported in March 2025 that China had not shipped antimony to EU countries since October. Prices followed the pressure.
For Serge Ferrari, the raw-material shock came at a difficult moment. Revenue stood at €323.6 million in 2024. In 2025, the group returned to growth: €347.5 million in revenue, €29.6 million in EBITDA and €7.5 million in net income. In its official 2025 results, SergeFerrari explicitly referred to continuing tensions around strategic materials such as antimony and pointed to price increases used to protect profitability.
The interesting part is how the company escaped the trap. In Grenoble, Baril said Serge Ferrari had found alternatives within six months, adjusted formulations and changed consumption. According to him, the new additives even generate less CO₂. An emergency fix became a small technology and sustainability lever. That is the friendly reading.
The less friendly reading is this: Europe’s contract-material sector has a structural problem. It sells performance, fire safety, circularity and sustainability, but selected strategic ingredients may still depend on supply chains that can tighten very quickly for political reasons. Procurement is no longer the quiet engine room of the business. It has become a risk radar.
When people think of technical textiles, they usually think of architecture, solar shading, outdoor applications, façades, furniture and marine use. They think of fire ratings, certificates, colour, touch and durability. They rarely think of antimony, a grey metalloid hidden somewhere in the formulation and suddenly powerful enough to decide whether a European manufacturer can keep producing properly.
That is the point in the case of Serge Ferrari. According to Sébastien Baril, president of the French specialist in flexible composite membranes and technical textiles, the company was apparently much closer to an industrial danger zone in 2024 than outsiders could have known. At a recent MEDEF Isère roundtable in Grenoble, Baril said, according to mesinfos, that the antimony shock had had an impact of around €30 million on the group. In essence: without action, that could have been the end.
That sounds dramatic. But it is not merely dressed-up crisis talk for a local French business event. Antimony is used in technical applications including flame-retardant systems. That hits a manufacturer whose products are present in solar protection, tensile architecture, modular structures and furniture and marine applications. In those markets, safety, standards and performance are not decoration. They are the ticket to play.
The wider frame is China. Beijing announced export controls for antimony-related products in August 2024, effective from 15 September 2024. Exporters have needed licences since then. China accounted for almost half of global antimony production in 2023. Reuters reported in March 2025 that China had not shipped antimony to EU countries since October. Prices followed the pressure.
For Serge Ferrari, the raw-material shock came at a difficult moment. Revenue stood at €323.6 million in 2024. In 2025, the group returned to growth: €347.5 million in revenue, €29.6 million in EBITDA and €7.5 million in net income. In its official 2025 results, SergeFerrari explicitly referred to continuing tensions around strategic materials such as antimony and pointed to price increases used to protect profitability.
The interesting part is how the company escaped the trap. In Grenoble, Baril said Serge Ferrari had found alternatives within six months, adjusted formulations and changed consumption. According to him, the new additives even generate less CO₂. An emergency fix became a small technology and sustainability lever. That is the friendly reading.
The less friendly reading is this: Europe’s contract-material sector has a structural problem. It sells performance, fire safety, circularity and sustainability, but selected strategic ingredients may still depend on supply chains that can tighten very quickly for political reasons. Procurement is no longer the quiet engine room of the business. It has become a risk radar.