US Bans Battery Black Mass, Tungsten Scrap Exports for 1 Year Starting Aug. 27
Updated
Updated · InvestorNews Inc. · Aug 16
US Bans Battery Black Mass, Tungsten Scrap Exports for 1 Year Starting Aug. 27
2 articles · Updated · InvestorNews Inc. · Aug 16
Summary
August 27 marks the start of a one-year US Commerce Department ban on exports of lithium-ion battery black mass and tungsten-bearing scrap, aimed at keeping critical-minerals feedstock for domestic recyclers.
US officials are trying to secure more material at home, but the policy exposes a gap: American facilities cannot yet process all of that feedstock, and several recycling companies have already gone bankrupt.
That mismatch underscores a broader execution problem in Washington’s minerals push, where retaining supply is proving easier than building profitable recovery and processing capacity.
A separate Defense Logistics Agency decision to cancel a tender for nearly 36 million pounds of battery-grade lithium carbonate—worth up to $300 million—showed similar strain in turning stockpile plans into workable procurement.
As global powers hoard critical minerals, will the race for domestic processing trigger a catastrophic supply chain collapse before new refineries open?
With China's rare earth export controls looming in late 2026, can Western tech giants survive the squeeze without unprecedented production halts?