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 2 months 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 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months 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 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months 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 2 months ago

This is why diversification is key.

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

Tungsten is a critical component in any cutting tool.

[–] Ladislawgrowlo@lemy.lol 1 points 2 months 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 2 months ago

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

[–] FrowingFostek@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

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

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

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

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

[–] gustofwind@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months 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 2 months 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