[INTERVIEW] Korea's tungsten mine could help US cut reliance on China, Tungco CEO says

Tungco CEO Cliff Nance said in an interview that production from Korea’s Sangdong mine could help the United States reduce its reliance on Chinese tungsten. He described the mine, where Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp. completed production facilities in September, as a potential partner to Tungco’s recycling operations. Nance said combining allied mining with U.S. recycling could strengthen the tungsten supply chain. He also said Tungco is open to partnerships with Korean companies.

China produces 67,000 of the 85,000 metric tons of tungsten mined globally each year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Tungco has recovered tungsten from discarded industrial tools and other scrap materials since 1969.

Tungco launched Project 74 in April to recover tungsten from scrap and process it into high-purity sodium tungstate.

Nance said the United States has not commercially mined tungsten since 2015 and remains more than 50 percent reliant on imports.

Nance cited a Bloomberg report that CME Group plans to launch tungsten futures in the first quarter of next year amid surging global prices.

Published Oct 27, 2026 12:00 pm KST

Almonty's Sangdong mine to fuel US supply chain

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 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.

Tungco CEO Cliff Nance

Cliff Nance, owner and CEO of Tungco, said “more production from trusted allies” 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.

“Almonty’s Sangdong mine is a positive development for both Korea and the U.S.,” Nance said in an interview with The Korea Times. "Breaking China’s dominance of tungsten requires more production from trusted allies, and Korea can play an important role."

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’s largest suppliers of recycled tungsten raw materials.

Tungco, a family-owned company founded by Steve Nance, was built on the belief that the U.S. “cannot afford to overlook the tungsten sitting in its own backyard.” In April, it launched Project 74, named after tungsten’s 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, “is in our cellphones, our industrial tools and anything that goes BOOM.”

“We 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,” he said.

Tungsten powder and sludge reclaimed by Tungco from scrap materials / Courtesy of Tungco

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.

Amid the supply shortage, Nance sees the Sangdong mine not as a competitor but as a partner in reducing U.S. reliance on China.

“We 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.

"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."

Almonty set to export refined tungsten from Sangdong mine

Nance said Korea’s 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’s administration over tariffs.

“Korean 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,” he said.

“We're open to partnerships with Korean companies, including Almonty, that complement our capabilities and strengthen American supply. Our goal is simple — to make sure America's next generation of industrial growth isn't dependent on China for the materials that power it.”

Tungco首席执行官克利夫·南斯在接受采访时表示，韩国桑东钨矿的产量有助于美国减少对中国钨的依赖。他指出，该矿（Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp.已于9月完成生产设施建设）有望成为Tungco回收业务的潜在合作伙伴。南斯表示，将盟友的采矿活动与美国的回收利用相结合，可以加强钨供应链。他还表示，Tungco对与韩国公司建立合作关系持开放态度。

据美国地质调查局称，全球每年开采的钨矿中，有 67,000 吨产自中国，占 85,000 吨钨矿总产量的 1%。

自 1969 年以来，Tungco 一直从废弃的工业工具和其他废料中回收钨。

东铁公司于 4 月启动了 74 号项目，旨在从废料中回收钨并将其加工成高纯度钨酸钠。

南斯表示，美国自 2015 年以来就没有进行过钨的商业开采，并且仍然有超过 50% 的钨依赖进口。

南斯援引彭博社的报道称，在全球钨价飙升的背景下，芝加哥商品交易所集团计划于明年第一季度推出钨期货。

发布于2026年10月27日韩国时间下午12:00

Almonty的桑东矿将为美国供应链提供燃料

在位于肯塔基州麦迪逊维尔的Tungco公司总部，一名员工正在通过硬表面处理工艺回收工业废料。该工艺可以去除钴粘合剂和钢制外壳，使材料变得足够脆，以便将其粉碎成高纯度再生钨粉。图片由Tungco公司提供。

据肯塔基州一家钨回收公司的高管称，随着美国寻求减少对中国钨（半导体和国防系统中使用的一种关键矿物）的依赖，韩国等盟国的生产商可以帮助填补供应缺口。

Tungco首席执行官克利夫·南斯

通科公司（Tungco）所有者兼首席执行官克利夫·南斯表示，“来自可信赖盟友的更多产量”有助于美国减少对中国的依赖，中国目前主导着全球钨供应链。他欢迎美国从江原道灵越郡的桑东矿进口钨，该矿的生产设施已于9月由韩国阿尔蒙特钨业公司（AKTC）建成投产。

“Almonty公司的桑东矿对韩国和美国来说都是一个积极的进展，”南斯在接受《韩国时报》采访时表示。“打破中国在钨行业的垄断地位需要值得信赖的盟友增加产量，而韩国可以发挥重要作用。”

据美国地质调查局统计，全球每年开采的钨矿总量为8.5万吨，其中中国生产6.7万吨。为了减少对中国钨矿供应的依赖，东芝公司自1969年以来一直从废弃工业工具和其他废料中回收钨，成为全球最大的再生钨原料供应商之一。

由史蒂夫·南斯创立的家族企业Tungco秉持着这样的信念：美国“不能忽视近在咫尺的钨矿资源”。今年4月，该公司启动了名为“74号项目”（Project 74）的项目，该项目以钨的原子序数命名，旨在从废料中回收钨，并将其加工成高纯度钨酸钠——一种新型钨制品的关键原材料。南斯表示，钨“存在于我们的手机、工业工具以及所有会爆炸的物品中”。

“我们花了55多年时间回收宝贵的钨，并通过我们的74号项目，将美国的工业废料转化为可靠的国内供应。韩国可以帮助美国实现供应多元化，”他说。

钨钢公司从废料中回收的钨粉和钨泥 / 图片由钨钢公司提供

南斯表示，美国自2015年以来就没有进行过商业钨矿开采，目前仍超过50%依赖进口。他援引彭博社本月早些时候的一篇报道指出，芝加哥商品交易所集团计划在明年第一季度推出钨期货，以应对全球钨价飙升的局面。南斯表示，美国尚未确保这种关键矿物的国内供应。

在供应短缺的情况下，南斯认为桑东金矿不是竞争对手，而是减少美国对中国依赖的合作伙伴。

“我们欢迎有机会与像Almonty这样与我们一样致力于减少对中国依赖的公司合作。钨安全的未来不在于开采还是回收，”他说道。

“两者兼而有之。Almonty带来了新的初级生产，而Tungco则带来了数十年来回收和加工已流通钨的经验。双方的生产和美国的回收利用相结合，可以打造一条更强大、更具韧性的供应链，中国难以轻易将其破坏。”

Almonty公司计划从桑东矿出口精炼钨。

南斯表示，韩国近期在美国的投资，从德克萨斯州的发电厂和核反应堆到阿拉斯加液化天然气开发，可能会推动未来的钨需求，因为首尔正寻求缓解与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普政府因关税问题而产生的贸易紧张局势。

“韩国对美国制造业、能源和先进技术的投资是件好事，这也再次凸显了保障关键矿产资源的重要性。钨是支撑这些行业的设备和工业流程所必需的，而且需求只会不断增长，”他说道。

“我们欢迎与包括Almonty在内的韩国公司建立合作伙伴关系，以补充我们的能力并加强美国的供应链。我们的目标很简单——确保美国下一代工业增长所需的原材料不再依赖中国。”