Updated 10 Oct 2026 · WolfTrack by TungstenIndia.com
Two governments have moved on tungsten in six weeks. The United States has ordered its scrap sellers to keep material at home. Vietnam has published a draft that would let only APT and tungsten oxide leave the country. Neither is a ban, and one of them is not yet law. Both show the same thing: governments now treat tungsten scrap and intermediates as supply security, not just commodities. The price split behind this is explained in One Market, Two Prices.
What the US rule actually says
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issued by | US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) |
| Type | Directive allocation order under the Defense Production Act, issued as a temporary final rule |
| Published / effective | 6 Aug 2026 / 27 Aug 2026 |
| Duration | One year from the effective date |
| Covered material | Tungsten waste and scrap (Schedule B 8101.97.00.00) and battery black mass |
| Core requirement | US sellers must allocate 100% of monthly sales to US buyers, unless BIS grants an adjustment or exception in advance |
| Relief | Company-specific or general adjustments; BIS aims to respond within 14 days |
Two details matter in practice. “Sale” includes transfers to affiliates and subsidiaries, so shipping scrap to a company’s own overseas plant is also covered. And BIS has said it will consider adjustments where scrap goes abroad for processing and the processed material returns to the US.
What the trade is saying
Trade reports on the rule describe it as a control mechanism, not a full export ban. Market participants point out that the US does not yet have refining capacity to turn all its scrap into finished tungsten products, so waivers may be needed until more domestic capacity exists. Scrap exporters are less relaxed: one trader quoted in the trade press called the measure “a death sentence for exporters,” because many US scrap dealers depend on Asian buyers.
The numbers behind the concern, as reported:
- US tungsten scrap exports were 2,183 t in January–June 2026, almost equal to the 2,202 t exported in all of 2025.
- The biggest recipients were Japan, Germany and South Korea.
- US carbide insert scrap was last assessed at $28–34/lb on 31 July, the lowest of 2026, down 13% on the month.
- The Defense Logistics Agency asked the market on 27 July about buying up to 200 t of tungsten hard scrap. It is a request for information, not a tender.
Vietnam: a draft, not a law
Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued a consultation draft that would allow exports only of deep-processed tungsten products. Those are ammonium paratungstate (APT) and commercial tungsten oxide. Ore, concentrate and every intermediate before the APT or oxide stage would not qualify. Products processed beyond that point, such as tungsten metal powder and tungsten carbide, would be eligible without separate listing.
The published summary does not give an effective date, full terms or a timeline. Until the final text is issued, treat it as a proposal. How the rule could fit Masan’s business is covered in Sangdong and Masan. For context, the Nui Phao mine accounts for nearly all of Vietnam’s estimated 3,400 tonnes a year of tungsten output.
Why now
The pattern is the same in both cases: a country that sits at one step of the chain decides to keep the raw or semi-processed material at home and export only what it has added value to. The US rule rests on a Presidential Determination of 30 July that recoverable critical minerals are scarce and critical materials. A US defence sourcing restriction (DFARS 252.225-7052) is also reported to apply from 1 Jan 2027, which adds to the pressure to keep material onshore.
What this means for Indian scrap sellers
What we know, and what we don’t
- Known: the US rule is in force until 26–27 Aug 2027 and covers US sellers only. Vietnam’s rule is a draft.
- Known: the top recipients of US scrap in H1 2026 were Japan, Germany and South Korea, not India.
- Our reading (inference, not reported): India feels this indirectly. If recyclers in those three countries get less US feed, they may look harder at other sources, which is where clean, well-graded Indian scrap competes. Watch whether foreign buyers’ enquiries for Indian material change over the next weeks.
- Watch: BIS waiver decisions, any extension of the covered materials list, and the final text of Vietnam’s rule.
- Current Indian rates: India tungsten scrap rates.
Selling clean carbide scrap in North India? Message us on WhatsApp with grade, quantity and photos, or follow the WolfTrack channel for the Thursday brief.
Frequently asked questions
Has the US banned tungsten scrap exports?
No. A US Commerce Department (BIS) order effective 27 Aug 2026 for one year requires US sellers of tungsten waste and scrap to allocate 100% of monthly sales to US buyers unless BIS grants an adjustment or exception. BIS aims to respond to requests within 14 days.
Is Vietnam’s tungsten export restriction law?
Not yet. It is a consultation draft from Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade that would allow exports only of APT and commercial tungsten oxide, plus products processed beyond that stage. No effective date has been published.
Does the US scrap rule affect Indian sellers directly?
It covers US sellers only. The largest recipients of US tungsten scrap in the first half of 2026 were Japan, Germany and South Korea, not India, so any effect on India is indirect.
What should Indian scrap sellers watch next?
BIS waiver decisions, any extension of the list of covered materials, and the final text of the Vietnam rule.
Related reading
- One Market, Two Prices: why China tungsten is falling while the rest of the world stays tight
- Sangdong starts, Masan gets a buyer: building tungsten supply outside China
- China's tungsten trade, January–August 2026: imports up, exports down
- WolfTrack Issue #2: India scrap rates, 8 Oct 2026
- Tungsten scrap price in India, October 2026
Sources: US Department of Commerce / BIS rule summaries (Baker McKenzie sanctions blog, Resource Recycling, 5 Aug 2026); Argus Media, “US tungsten scrap export curbs raise concern”; The Oregon Group; Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade consultation draft as reported by a Shanghai-based metals news service, 10 Oct 2026. For reference only, not trading advice.
Also read: Kyocera to recycle tungsten carbide from used tools: what it means for Indian scrap
