What it is: the U.S. Geological Survey publishes a yearly Mineral Commodity Summary for tungsten. I read the 2026 edition (data to 2025, some figures estimated). Short answer for buyers: mine supply is concentrated in one country, the U.S. has no mine output and relies on imports, and the summary says substitutes mostly reduce rather than replace tungsten.
What the summary reports
| Item | As stated by USGS |
|---|---|
| U.S. mine production | None; the U.S. has not mined tungsten commercially since 2015 |
| World mine production, 2025 (estimated) | 85,000 metric tons of tungsten content; China 67,000 |
| Other producers listed (2025) | Kazakhstan 2,400; Vietnam 3,000; Russia 2,000; North Korea 2,000; Bolivia 1,700; Rwanda 1,300; Australia 1,000 |
| Reserves | China 2,500,000 of more than 4,700,000 world total |
| U.S. use | An estimated 60% of tungsten consumed went into cemented carbide parts for cutting and wear applications |
| Net import reliance | Greater than 50% of apparent consumption |
| Import sources 2021-24 | China 26%, Germany 14%, Bolivia 8%, Vietnam 8%, other 44% (China includes Hong Kong) |
The summary also says that in 2025 prices rose sharply after the U.S. raised Section 301 tariffs on several Chinese tungsten products and China imposed export controls on selected tungsten items.
What it means for a carbide buyer
The supply picture is a concentration risk, and it shows up as price and lead-time risk rather than as sudden scarcity.
- Concentration is real. One country dominates mining, so a policy change there moves prices everywhere.
- The U.S. is an import market. Domestic mine supply is not a substitute at scale.
- Substitution is limited. Alternative carbides exist, but they change performance rather than replacing it.
Limits of this reading
The figures are rounded annual estimates, and they move.
- The figures are annual and rounded; several are estimates or withheld.
- The summary does not address edge pricing or lead times.
- Check the current edition before quoting, because USGS updates it each year.
As of the query date (October 24, 2026), this is the edition I read.
Boundary: this article summarizes one public document and is not a forecast or procurement advice. Tariff and export-control rules change, so verify them with official sources.
Sources and further reading. External references are dated; where a figure is quoted, the link shows where it came from.
U.S. Geological Survey: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Tungsten (2026) ↗Tungsten Carbide Wear Parts for Mining and Crushing ↗Tungsten Mining and Supply: How Concentrate Reaches Wear Parts Buyers ↗Tungsten carbide inserts for snow plow edges ↗Why a Tungsten Price-per-Pound Chart Is Not Your Carbide Edge Price ↗China’s Tungsten Export Licences: A Buyer’s Timeline From February 2025 to 2026 ↗The Forced-Labor Section 301 Duty: Who Pays, Which Goods, Which Dates ↗
