this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2026
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Why does China produce >80% of the world's tungsten?

Why has there been zero domestic tungsten mining in the United States?

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[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 7 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Australia can export tungsten to the US.

Tungsten is critical for military applications and solar panel production.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Australia trades more with China than America. Do you want to sacrifice your economy for America?

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

America will surely pay more than China for Australian tungsten to rid itself from the >80% over-reliance.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Correct, but then China could stop trading other things in the event of increased hostility with the US, same way the US does. Unless you intend to decouple and become reliant on the US instead, China has more leverage on your economy.

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 4 points 4 days ago

This is why diversification is key.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Tungsten is a critical component in any cutting tool.

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 1 points 4 days ago

Also special armor penetrating ammunition, because of tungsten high density and hardness, as the article mentions. This is why there was a tungsten shortage during WW2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfram_Crisis

[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago

The only thing Australia is exporting to the US is all your biometric data.

[–] FrowingFostek@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Idk too much about rare earth metals but I hear it really fucks up the land.

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yes, it produces waste and changes the environment. But it is important for the military and national security. So it has to be accepted to a degree.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Does it? Turns out you can just buy it from other places

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

... the largest producers: China, Vietnam, Russia and North-Korea. Not very dependable salesman.

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

China and Vietnam are plenty dependable and did you know America used to secretly acquire titanium from Russia during the Cold War?

It’s pretty hard to stop globalism

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/in-1960s-russia-sold-titanium-to-the-us-believing-they-needed-it-for-pizza-ovens-but-instead-they-used-it-to-build-the-sr-71-blackbird-mach-3-spy-plane/

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago

I noticed in the latest Greenland pic that the citizens were all standing on the tungsten so the americans wouldn't see it when they came to poking around to look for riches. /s