{
  "id": 18164223,
  "title": "Western tungsten prices nearly quadruple China’s: report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/western-tungsten-prices-nearly-quadruple-chinas-report",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-04T17:18:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mining.com",
    "slug": "mining-com",
    "url": "https://www.mining.com/western-tungsten-prices-nearly-quadruple-chinas-report/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Western tungsten prices have surged to nearly four times the level in China, as export restrictions and U.S. supply-chain policies disrupt the market for this critical mineral, according to a new report by MetalMiner. The price of Rotterdam ammonium paratungstate (APT) traded at $278.22 per kg in October, compared to $74.43 per kg for China ex-works APT, a dramatic 3.74-fold difference. This gap is attributed to factors such as regulatory compliance, geographic availability, and processing capacity, rather than a uniform global shortage. US tariffs had some effect on the western premium, but after 14 tariff episodes, the premium increased by about 11% over 12 months, versus about 7% on regular days. As tungsten availability becomes scarcer, the consequences may manifest as delayed production, constrained tooling, or reported defense supply-chain shortages. The report emphasizes that the question now is not just about how much tungsten costs, but rather what the price and availability of traceable and qualified tungsten are in a specific form and geography due to differing restrictions imposed by China and the U.S. China's export licensing in February 2025 restricted tungsten exports from China and strengthened its pricing position, leading to a market split. Rotterdam APT prices rose from $34.60/kg in February 2025 to $290.06/kg by September 2026, while China ex-works APT prices increased from $28.92/kg to $86.02/kg over the same period. The U.S. implemented tariffs on tungsten, rising from 4% (2015-2024) to 16.2% in December 2025, and a scrap allocation order in late August 2026 aimed to keep tungsten scrap in the country for domestic and defense use. The upcoming Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) procurement restriction on January 1, 2027, will further impact the tungsten market by focusing on domestic security and traceability for U.S. defense contractors. The report highlights the need for conversion capacity growth in the U.S. to narrow the gap between Western and Chinese tungsten prices.",
  "summary": "MetalMiner’s new report shows how restrictions and geography have changed the tungsten market.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}