The US Department of Commerce announced on August 6 it will ban exports of tungsten waste and black mass—a recycled powder from lithium-ion batteries—starting August 27, 2026, for one year to secure domestic critical mineral supplies [1, 2]. The Bureau of Industry and Security will enforce the rule published in the Federal Register [3, 1, 2].
Black mass contains lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other metals recovered from dismantled batteries and is an increasing alternative source of these materials [3, 4, 1, 5]. Tungsten is a heat-resistant, hard metal vital for military armor, ammunition, aerospace, and precision tools [3, 4, 5]. The US currently lacks adequate recycling capacity to process all tungsten and battery waste, and some recycling companies have recently faced bankruptcy [1, 2]. Ryan McAdams, CEO of Amermin, a tungsten recycler, said the ban "is a temporary stopgap that buys us time, but we must start building full recycling infrastructure in the US" [1].
The export ban is authorized under a law signed by President Donald Trump using the Defense Production Act to reduce US reliance on China, which controls about 80-85% of global tungsten mine production [3, 4, 1, 6, 5, 2]. China has restricted tungsten exports since February 2025 and tightened controls in early 2026 for some countries, causing global tungsten powder shortages and price surges [4, 5]. The price of ammonium paratungstate, a tungsten compound, has increased about fivefold in a year—outpacing gold gains [5].
Some exemptions are allowed if companies prove exporting would cause undue hardship or irreparable harm, including cases where materials are exported for processing and then returned to the US [3, 4, 1, 5, 2]. The US has also discovered its largest domestic tungsten deposit, though development faces challenges including NASA concerns over satellite tracking interference [5]. Australia is positioned as a key alternative tungsten supplier, holding 12-13% of global reserves and producing about 1,000 metric tons annually, supported by over $5 billion in US-Australia funding cooperation [5].
The US Department of Commerce said, "The President stated that the inadequate supply of CMMs poses an increasing risk to our national defence and security, and it is imperative that the United States take immediate action to secure the supply of recoverable CMMs" [3]. Zubeyde Oysul, SAFE’s critical mineral policy manager, expressed support in Chinese, noting the importance of recovering critical materials from waste [2].
The export restrictions will remain in effect for one year from August 27, 2026 [1, 6, 5, 2].
