To ensure resource supply, the United States prohibits the export of tungsten waste and battery recycling materials.

The United States will ban the export of tungsten waste and recycled battery materials starting later this month, just under a week after Trump authorized relevant agencies to keep potential critical materials domestic. According to a new regulation published in the Federal Register, suppliers of tungsten waste and "black mass"the substance containing various metals obtained from crushed used lithium-ion batterieswill be required to prioritize sales to the domestic market, though they can apply for exemptions. This export restriction will be effective for one year. Last week, Trump signed an order authorizing officials to impose export controls on industrial waste containing Critical Minerals and Materials (CMMs). This is part of a series of measures the U.S. is taking to strengthen its supply chain and reduce dependence on China, leveraging the Defense Production Act established during the Cold War. The U.S. Department of Commerce stated in the notice: "President Trump pointed out that shortages of critical minerals and materials pose an increasingly serious threat to national defense and security, and the U.S. must take immediate action to ensure the secure supply of recyclable critical minerals and materials." Tungsten is an extremely hard metal widely used in military armor, ammunition, and precision tools in automotive manufacturing, and it is one of the metals subject to export controls by China. "Black mass," derived from the recycling of used lithium-ion batteries, is becoming an increasingly important alternative source for materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.