The Trump administration has restricted exports of tungsten scrap and lithium-ion battery “black mass,” aiming to keep critical materials in the United States and strengthen domestic supply chains, according to the South China Morning Post.
Analysts said the restrictions could reduce feedstock available to Chinese recyclers, which have relied partly on overseas supplies. China imported more than 111,000 tonnes of industrial waste, including black mass, from the US during the first seven months of this year, according to Chinese customs data cited in the report.
However, the US faces limited processing capacity. Professor Liang Yan said building new refining facilities could take two to five years, making the one-year restriction difficult to sustain as a complete supply-chain solution.
The report said future controls could expand to other critical minerals and recycled materials.
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🇨🇳🇺🇸 China really does sit on the choke point for the metals inside U.S. missiles and jets.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 28, 2026
Beijing controls about 60% of rare earth mining and more than 90% of the refining that turns those minerals into magnets.
That is the stuff inside F-35s, destroyers, radars, and…
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