The United States prohibits the export of waste tungsten and waste batteries.

According to a report quoted by Miningweekly in Reuters, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on the 6th that it would ban the export of waste tungsten and waste batteries, which is one of the measures taken by the country to promote the domestic recycling industry and the production of key minerals.

This policy is not unexpected. Earlier, President Trump signed an executive order giving federal officials the power to restrict the export of wastes containing key minerals.

The order prohibits the export of so-called "Black Mass", which is actually broken lithium-ion batteries and waste containing tungsten, a metal used in hard steel and widely used in national defense.

This move is the latest among many policies adopted by the United States to reduce external dependence. Key minerals are widely used in various fields, from power batteries to weapon systems. The United States is increasingly using export controls, tariffs and domestic incentives to rebuild its local supply chain.

The Bureau of Industry and Security of the US Department of Commerce said that the order had been published in the Federal Register and would take effect on August 27, with a validity period of one year.

"I'm glad to see that the government realizes the importance of recycling recyclable key materials from waste materials," said Zubeyde Oysul, director of key mineral policy at Washington-based think tank SAFE.

According to the order, only when the company can prove that there are "insurmountable difficulties" or "irreparable damage" can the exemption be granted on an exceptional basis.

According to the environmental protection organization Basel Action Network, the United States exports nearly 33,000 tons of electronic waste and other wastes every month, many of which contain key minerals that can be recycled.

These exports have long been strongly dissatisfied with the recycling industry in the United States. They believe that keeping these materials at home can help the United States better meet its mineral production needs.

However, the United States still does not have enough capacity to recycle all the waste it produces. In the past 18 months, many recycling companies, including Li-Cycle and Ascend Elements, have also faced economic difficulties, and both companies have filed for bankruptcy.

Amermin, a private tungsten recycling company, appreciates the government's move, but believes that the United States needs to take more measures to improve its waste disposal capacity.

"This ban is only a stopgap measure," said Ryan McAdams, CEO of American Mining Company. It can buy us more time, but we must start building infrastructure in the United States.

Last year, the American mining company received a grant of $11.5 million from the Department of Energy, but so far it has not received this fund. Mcadams said that if the company could get the funds, its commercial recycling facilities would have been put into operation at least six months ago.

source:https://geoglobal.mnr.gov.cn/zx/kydt/zhyw/202608/t20260811_10291322.htm