Shanghai Nonferrous Metals News-20250206
On February 4, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the China Customs jointly announced the decision to impose export controls on items related to tungsten, molybdenum, tellurium, bismuth, and indium.Tungsten products involved are: APT, tungsten oxide and tungsten carbides.
According to SMM data, China exported 803 t of APT in 2023 and 782 t in 2024, accounting for approximately 4% of total exports of tungsten products in each year. In 2023, tungsten oxide exports were 2,699 t (14% of total) and tungsten carbides 4,433 t (22.3%). In 2024, tungsten oxide exports rose to 3,190 t (17%), while tungsten carbides slightly declined to 4,147 t (22%).
The expansion of export controls over tungsten products marks a further upgrade in China’s strategic managements of mineral resources, which aims to help industrial chain upgrades, reduce exports of low value-added products and guarantee domestic supply. Analysts believe this export control primarily targets tungsten products used in military applications, which constitute 10~20% of total exports. The remaining 80~90% of tungsten exports, intended for civilian use, remain unaffected, suggesting limited overall impact.
