TUNGSTEN (W)
VERY HIGH RISK
Overview
A dense refractory metal with the highest melting point of any element and exceptional hardness under extreme stress conditions. Tungsten is essential to armor-piercing munitions, missile warheads, aerospace systems, industrial machining, and high-temperature defense applications.
Strategic importance
Tungsten heavy alloy penetrators are at the core of modern armored warfare. The M829A3 APFSDS round used by the M1A2 Abrams depends on tungsten for kinetic energy penetration. No alternative material currently offers comparable density, hardness, and armor penetration performance at equivalent weight and size constraints.
Risk score
90/100
Primary use cases
Global supply chain map
Key stats
Known reserves~4M tons reserves. China ~80% of production; ~80–85% of refining.
# of producing countries5
Global production (2023)—
China share of refining—
Export controls—
Producing countries
Defense & flow
Defense capability exposure
| Capability area | Exposure level | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Armored Warfare Systems | CRITICAL | 5 |
| Kinetic Energy Munitions | CRITICAL | 5 |
| Missile Warheads | HIGH | 4 |
| Aerospace Manufacturing | HIGH | 4 |
| Industrial Defense Manufacturing | HIGH | 4 |
| Strategic Machining Infrastructure | HIGH | 4 |
Strategic impact
Tungsten is foundational to modern kinetic warfare systems, armor-piercing ammunition, missile payloads, and advanced machining infrastructure supporting defense manufacturing. A disruption to tungsten supply chains would directly affect tank ammunition production, missile manufacturing, industrial tooling, and aerospace production capacity. Because tungsten's density and thermal characteristics are exceptionally difficult to replicate, substitution options remain limited for high-performance military applications.
Supply chain control
China
Dominates mine production and processing.
Risk indicators
- China produces ~80% of global tungsten
- DoD stockpiles acknowledged as insufficient for extended high-intensity conflict
- No substitute offers equivalent armor penetration at similar weight
Risk & challenge analysis
China maintains overwhelming dominance across tungsten mining, refining, and processing infrastructure. Domestic U.S. tungsten production remains limited despite increasing concern over munitions supply resilience and strategic mineral vulnerability. Current Department of Defense stockpile levels are widely viewed as insufficient for sustaining prolonged high-intensity conflict scenarios, particularly in armored warfare environments with elevated ammunition consumption rates.
Strategic insight
Current U.S. tungsten stockpile levels remain classified but have been publicly acknowledged by defense officials as inadequate for sustaining extended high-intensity conflict against a peer adversary. Tungsten represents one of the clearest examples of how mineral dependency directly intersects with battlefield munitions sustainability and industrial mobilization capacity.
Value chain — key companies
UPSTREAM
Extraction & mining
- Almonty
- Xiamen Tungsten
MIDSTREAM
Refining & processing
- China Tungsten Hightech
DOWNSTREAM
Manufacturing & end use
- Aerospace firms
- Machining industry
- Ammunition makers
◎
Key chokepoint
China mine + processing dominance
Recent Intelligence
Vancouver, Canada, June 16, 2026 TheNewswire Spartan Metals Corp. is pleased to announce the discovery of two new tungsten-silver veins at its Tungstonia...
5 days ago
Perpetual snaps up historic tungsten play
Perpetual Resources has agreed to acquire Nevada's Scheelite Mine and plans to validate historical data as it assesses the potential for a maiden JORC...
6 days ago
Miners counting on Sandvik for carbide
The ability to supply tungsten carbide bits comes with significant value in the mining sector at the moment,” Rickard Andreasson says.
5 days ago
Tungsten Ore in China Trade
In 2025, China imported $355M of Tungsten Ore, being the 407th most imported product (out of 1,196) in China. In 2025, the main origins of China's Tungsten Ore...
Vancouver, British Columbia – TheNewswire - June 15, 2026 - Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) (FRA: 4K2) (the “Company” or “Western Star”)...
PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group News Commentary — Tungsten is one of those metals most people never think about, yet modern life and modern defense would...
Lincoln acquisition includes 841 acres of real property as well as 2540 acre-feet of annual water rights across three permits.
A secret war over tungsten is unfolding in US parking lots as Chinese buyers outbid local recyclers for this critical metal.
The senator calls out timeline linking Trump family investments to a U.S.-financed tungsten project in Kazakhstan.
NEW YORK/HOUSTON, Texas/DALIAN, China -- Japan-bound U.S. shipments of recycled tungsten-- an increasingly important source of the critical industrial.
Intelligence metadata