{
  "id": 8396603,
  "title": "How Austria can loosen China’s grip over a key critical mineral",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/how-austria-can-loosen-chinas-grip-over-a-key-critical-mineral",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-19T02:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/09/19/austria-china-key-critical-mineral/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nestled in the Austrian Alps, the Plansee Group is constructing a significant tungsten mining operation in Western Europe. Tungsten, though less celebrated than rare earths, is indispensable to industries such as automotive manufacturing, semiconductor production, and the military. Its hardness makes it ideal for cutting and shaping car components, while its heat resistance is crucial for semiconductors. Moreover, its density nearly doubles that of lead, rendering it essential for armor-piercing ammunition. However, the metal's supply chain is dominated by China, which has recently restricted exports, increased raw material acquisitions, and halted shipments to Japan. This has led to a global scramble for tungsten and a sharp increase in its price.",
  "summary": "Plansee Group is building one of the West's most formidable critical minerals operations outside China.",
  "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."
}