What Happened
Pentagon Moves to Reduce Dependence on China for Critical Mineral
The US Pentagon has committed $450 million to expand domestic tungsten mining and processing, aiming to reduce its reliance on China for the critical mineral. The investment comes ahead of a 2027 procurement ban on tungsten from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The move highlights the need for refining and manufacturing capacity, not just mining, and underscores the importance of access to raw materials in modern defence manufacturing. This development was first reported by ETDefence.