„The U.S. is exporting its own raw material security“

The chairman of the executive board of the largest tungsten supplier outside of China is calling for export restrictions on tungsten scrap in response to soaring prices and shortages of this critical 

Tungsten is a critical raw material on which large parts of industry depend—from the entire manufacturing sector through aviation, medical technology, to the electronics and defense industries.

The situation in the tungsten market has been becoming increasingly challenging for some time now. There is a global shortage, and the APT price has increased more than fivefold since early 2025. China produces more than 80 percent of the world’s tungsten and controls the majority of the supply through export controls and restrictions. Since 2025, China has also been a net importer of tungsten. This rising domestic consumption, combined with mine closures, is further increasing the pressure.

But regulations outside of China are also exacerbating the situation. For example, the U.S. has announced an import ban on Chinese tungsten for certain applications starting in 2027. And customers in Europe and North America are demanding greater transparency, conflict-free supply chains, and reliable proof of origin.

Despite this situation marked by shortages and rising prices, the U.S. and the West are exporting parts of their tungsten scrap that could be made usable through recycling. That is why Karlheinz Wex, chairman of the executive board of the Plansee Group, the largest tungsten supplier outside of China and GTP’s and Ceratizit’s parent company, is calling for a policy shift in the handling of this key industrial raw material: export restrictions on tungsten scrap, coupled with a requirement for reprocessing and reintegration into regional value chains.

Statement by Karlheinz Wex in full:
“The U.S. and the West are discussing tungsten supply security as if it could be achieved solely through new mines. That falls short. Mines are definitely an important pillar, but they do not secure the U.S. in either the short or medium term. Developing new mining projects takes too long for that. Immediate supply security requires diversified supply chains that, in addition to long-term purchase agreements with global mining projects, integrate above all resilient regional recycling loops.

In this sense, tungsten scrap is not waste, but a strategic source of this key industrial raw material. Those who export it lose not just material, but industrial substance. In a situation where tungsten is scarce and prices are skyrocketing, this is economically short-sighted and risky in terms of raw materials policy. To put it bluntly: The U.S. is exporting its own raw materials security.

That is why we need export restrictions on tungsten scrap. These restrictions must be tied to a clear condition: reprocessing and reintroduction into the regional economic cycle. This is the only way to create a sustainable circular economy that makes the U.S., Europe, and the West more resilient and significantly reduces dependence on external sources.

Tungsten is particularly well-suited for this approach. Recycling processes have long been in place, and industrial reprocessing works. Nevertheless, around 70 percent of the tungsten used worldwide remains unrecycled to this day. So we are leaving a large portion of this critical raw material unused, even though we urgently need it. That is a strategic mistake.

Anyone who wants to secure critical raw materials must keep existing materials within the region and make them usable again. With tungsten, this is the path to greater independence, greater industrial stability, and greater strategic capacity for action.”

Why focusing on mines alone is not enough
New mining projects are part of the solution. They diversify supply and strengthen access to primary materials. But it takes years for them to reach full production. Anyone who bases Europe’s supply security solely on this is relying on a foundation with a long lead time.

The faster lever lies in a regional raw materials circular economy. This is where a previously underutilized reservoir can be harnessed: tungsten scrap from production, use, and take-back. If this material leaves the region, the US loses valuable time, access to raw materials, and strategic control.

The Plansee Group: Recycling on an industrial scale
The Plansee Group is one of the few companies that secures tungsten supply on a large scale. As the largest tungsten supplier outside of China, it covers the entire value chain—from processing raw materials from scrap or concentrates to customer-specific tools and components.

In fiscal year 2025/26, the Plansee Group manufactured 14,300 tons of tungsten products. Approximately 12 percent of all global tungsten products or their raw materials thus originate from the company. Only 9 percent of this material comes from tungsten concentrates, while 91 percent comes from recycling—and the U.S. subsidiary GTP in Towanda plays a major role in this process.

The supply resilience of the Plansee Group is based on three factors: the systematic collection and sorting of tungsten scrap, highly advanced recycling processes, and long-term raw material partnerships with mining projects worldwide. The Plansee Group possesses a high degree of technological flexibility in the reprocessing of tungsten materials and utilizes thermomechanical and chemical recycling processes to recover high-quality raw materials from a wide variety of scrap. Buyback programs and reprocessing models for customers complement this approach.