Vancouver, BC – September 18, 2026 -- China produced 67,000 of the world's 85,000 tonnes of tungsten in 2025, or roughly 79% of global supply, while the United States mined none for the eleventh consecutive year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Washington tightens defense sourcing rules from January 2027
The restriction under DFARS 252.225-7052 on tungsten from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea widens from the melt-or-production stage to the mine-or-ore stage effective January 1, 2027, and recycled material will no longer reset country of origin.
Split land ownership, not geology, blocks most U.S. tungsten projects
In much of the American West, mineral and surface rights are held by separate owners, and a company can secure federal lode claims through the Bureau of Land Management while still lacking the right to build roads, pads, mills or tailings facilities on privately owned surface above. Surface-owner consent and right of entry are the first documents required before a BLM or state permitting application can begin, and disputes over that consent routinely stall technically sound projects at the permitting boundary.
Tungsten prices triple as China restricts export licenses
Fastmarkets assessed tungsten concentrate (50-70% WO3, cif global) at $750-$850 per metric tonne unit at the start of 2026; the price has held at $2,500-$2,800 per mtu since May 29, 2026. China authorized only