US, UK, Zimbabwe and Vietnam Tighten Tungsten Controls as China Holds 80 Percent Share

Washington’s export restriction on tungsten scrap, London’s funding for a UK project, Harare’s outright ban on concentrates, and Hanoi’s planned limits mark coordinated moves to secure domestic supply. Each action reduces material available for open trade. China’s 80 percent production share and prior export throttling already constrain volumes; these new barriers compound the shortfall for non-Chinese buyers.

Defense, semiconductor, and tooling sectors face immediate pressure. Almonty’s Sangdong mine in South Korea began processing ore in June 2026, with a 21-year offtake agreement to Global Tungsten & Powders that raises contracted volumes 40 percent. MSC Industrial reported ongoing cost increases at the Jefferies conference, confirming the supply shock is propagating through industrial chains.

The pattern reflects standard resource-nationalism logic: states prioritize domestic processing and strategic reserves over export revenue. Zimbabwe and Vietnam gain short-term leverage for local refineries; the US and UK trade higher procurement costs for reduced dependence on Chinese material. Primary records show no coordinated alliance, only parallel national decisions.

Further export controls on concentrates or oxides are probable within 18 months as rearmament demand rises. Almonty’s planned Korean oxide plant at 4,000 tons initial capacity will test whether non-Chinese throughput can scale before additional restrictions tighten.