In order to guarantee the supply of resources, the United States prohibits the export of tungsten waste and battery recycling materials

The Zhitong Finance App learned that the US will ban the export of tungsten waste and recycled battery materials from the end of this month. This move is less than a week before Trump authorizes relevant departments to leave potentially critical materials in the country.

According to a new regulation published in the Federal Register, suppliers of tungsten waste and “black powder” — that is, waste lithium-ion batteries containing various metals after being crushed — will be required to prioritize sales to the local market, but can apply for an exemption. The export restrictions are valid for one year.

Trump signed a decree last week authorizing officials to implement export controls on industrial waste containing critical minerals and materials (CMMs). This is one of a series of measures that the United States uses the “Defense Production Law” enacted during the Cold War to strengthen the supply chain and reduce dependence on China.

The US Department of Commerce stated in a communiqué: “US President Trump pointed out that insufficient supply of critical minerals and materials poses a growing threat to national defense and security, and the United States must act immediately to ensure the safe supply of recyclable key minerals and materials.”

Tungsten is a metal with extremely high hardness. It is widely used in fields such as military armor, ammunition, and precision tools in automobile factories, and is one of the types of metal subject to export control in China. “Black powder”, on the other hand, comes from recycling waste lithium-ion batteries and is gradually becoming an increasingly important alternative source for materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.