US export controls on tungsten, battery ‘black mass’ seen pressuring Chinese recyclers

With Washington moving to ensure that tungsten scrap and lithium-ion battery “black mass” stay in the United States, analysts warn that the new restrictions will deprive Chinese refiners of a source of lower-cost feedstock and prompt Beijing to seek alternative supplies. China could also accelerate domestic recycling and use its own export controls on rare earths and magnets as leverage, they said