{"id":11717,"date":"2026-10-27T09:15:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=11717"},"modified":"2026-10-27T09:15:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:15:18","slug":"interview-koreas-tungsten-mine-could-help-us-cut-reliance-on-china-tungco-ceo-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=11717","title":{"rendered":"[INTERVIEW] Korea’s tungsten mine could help US cut reliance on China, Tungco CEO says"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Tungco employee reclaims industrial scrap through a hardsurfacing process that removes cobalt binders and steel housings, making the material brittle enough to be crushed into high-purity recycled tungsten powder, at the company’s headquarters in Madisonville, Ky. Courtesy of Tungco <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the United States seeks to reduce its reliance on China for tungsten, a critical mineral used in semiconductors and defense systems, producers in allied nations such as Korea could help fill the supply gap, according to a Kentucky-based tungsten recycling executive.<\/p>\n

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Tungco CEO Cliff Nance<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cliff Nance, owner and CEO of Tungco, said \u201cmore production from trusted allies\u201d could help the United States reduce its reliance on China, which dominates the global tungsten supply chain. He welcomed the prospect of the U.S. importing tungsten from the Sangdong mine in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, where Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp. (AKTC) completed production facilities in September.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmonty\u2019s Sangdong mine is a positive development for both Korea and the U.S.,\u201d Nance said in an interview with The Korea Times. “Breaking China\u2019s dominance of tungsten requires more production from trusted allies, and Korea can play an important role.”<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, China produces 67,000 of the 85,000 metric tons of tungsten mined globally each year. Seeking to reduce reliance on Chinese supplies, Tungco has been recovering tungsten from discarded industrial tools and other scrap materials since 1969, becoming one of the world\u2019s largest suppliers of recycled tungsten raw materials.<\/p>\n

Tungco, a family-owned company founded by Steve Nance, was built on the belief that the U.S. \u201ccannot afford to overlook the tungsten sitting in its own backyard.\u201d In April, it launched Project 74, named after tungsten\u2019s atomic number, to recover the mineral from scrap and process it into high-purity sodium tungstate, a key raw material for new tungsten products. Tungsten, Nance said, \u201cis in our cellphones, our industrial tools and anything that goes BOOM.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have spent more than 55 years recovering valuable tungsten, and through our Project 74 initiative, we’re turning American industrial scraps into a secure domestic supply. Korea can help America diversify its supply,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

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Tungsten powder and sludge reclaimed by Tungco from scrap materials \/ Courtesy of Tungco<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The U.S. has not commercially mined tungsten since 2015 and remains more than 50 percent reliant on imports, Nance said. Citing a Bloomberg report earlier this month that CME Group plans to launch tungsten futures in the first quarter of next year amid surging global prices, he said the U.S. has yet to secure a domestic supply of the critical mineral.<\/p>\n

Amid the supply shortage, Nance sees the Sangdong mine not as a competitor but as a partner in reducing U.S. reliance on China.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome opportunities to work with companies like Almonty that share our commitment to reducing dependence on China. The future of tungsten security isn’t mining versus recycling,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It is both. Almonty brings new primary production while Tungco brings decades of experience recovering and processing tungsten already in circulation. Together, allied production and American recycling can create a stronger, more resilient supply chain that China cannot easily disrupt.”<\/p>\n

Nance said Korea\u2019s recent investments in the U.S., ranging from a Texas power plant and nuclear reactors to Alaska LNG development, could help drive future tungsten demand as Seoul seeks to ease trade tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s administration over tariffs. <\/p>\n

\u201cKorean investment in American manufacturing, energy and advanced technology is good news, and it reinforces why securing critical minerals is so important. Tungsten is essential for the equipment and industrial processes supporting these industries, and demand will only grow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re open to partnerships with Korean companies, including Almonty, that complement our capabilities and strengthen American supply. Our goal is simple \u2014 to make sure America’s next generation of industrial growth isn’t dependent on China for the materials that power it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Tungco employee reclaims industrial scrap through a hardsurfacing process that removes cobalt binders and steel housings, making the material brittle enough to be crushed into high-purity recycled tungsten powder, at the company’s headquarters in Madisonville, Ky. Courtesy of Tungco As the United States seeks to reduce its reliance on China for tungsten, a critical…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t