USA tungsten shortages getting worse28 May 2026 05:21
Since the outbreak of the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran at the end of February, the pressure on the global tungsten supply has further intensified. The U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies warned last month that the current high-intensity military consumption could lead to recovery periods of several years for some key ammunition stockpiles of the U.S. military, implying that demand for critical raw materials like tungsten will remain high for the long term. According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. needs to import over 6,000 metric tons of processed tungsten products annually. Notably, commercial tungsten mining in the U.S. has been almost stagnant since 2015, and the related industrial chain has shrunk for years, resulting in a heavy dependence on overseas supply and recycling systems. Now, with the surge in global military demand, the U.S. is accelerating the reconstruction of its tungsten supply chain within domestic and allied networks.