The Tungsten Supply Chain: Lessons From a Century of Conflict

By Kevin Brunelli, Simon Zieleniewski, Tim Rose – rovjok

Tungsten is receiving renewed attention from policymakers and defence officials in Washington, Brussels, and other capitals across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

The intermediate product ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices as of April 2026 are up over 800% since 2024, China imposed export controls on tungsten products in February 2025, and the metal’s role in key defence components has placed the tungsten supply chain at the center of Western efforts to diversify supply chains amid rising defence spending.

The Tungsten Supply Chain (Part 2): Can New Projects Close the Western Tungsten Supply Gap?

Here in Part 2, we outline how rising tungsten demand from the defence sector exacerbates the tungsten supply gap facing the United States, Europe, and allies. Governments are once again facing market conditions that will force them to intervene. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising defence budgets, and U.S. munitions replenishment are all pulling on the same limited pool of Western and allied supplied tungsten, while China’s export restrictions create a major supply chain risk. Previous lessons over the last century demonstrate that closing the gap will again require government support.