Deutsche Welle wrote on August 19: "Tungsten prices surge — how can Europe reduce its reliance on China? Tungsten is listed among the EU's critical raw materials, yet Europe is heavily dependent on China in this area. An Austrian company has achieved independence from China by recycling and securing supply contracts with South Korea to produce tungsten products."

The headline of Deutsche Welle’s report seemingly poses the question: "How can Europe break free from its dependence on Chinese tungsten?" However, when viewed against the backdrop of the current global tungsten market landscape, the approach taken by the Austrian enterprise appears more like a localized breakthrough rather than a feasible path for Europe as a whole to "de-Chinize" its supply chain.

The narrative framework of this report — "An Austrian firm produces tungsten products independently of China" — essentially conveys an optimistic signal to European readers that solutions exist.

Yet, for Europe to truly overcome dependency, "de-Chinization" still faces structural barriers:

On average, it takes 15–25 years to move from tungsten exploration to production, with additional delays of several years due to Western environmental assessments and judicial review processes. Industry experts widely agree that rebuilding a fully independent "from mine to chip-grade tungsten gas" supply chain in the West would take at least 20–30 years.

China accounts for approximately 83% of global tungsten output and nearly 90% of rare earth processing capacity, having accumulated decades of expertise in tungsten refining and purification (ion exchange, solvent extraction, powder control). Western firms such as Austria’s Plansee have only limited production capacity and remain dependent on imported high-purity APT from China for over 90% of their raw material needs.

From a cost perspective, China’s tungsten concentrate mining cost is around 120,000 RMB per ton, while overseas averages as high as 200,000 RMB; overall refining costs are 30%–50% lower than those of newly built Western facilities. Even if Europe invests heavily in mining, it cannot compete with China on cost in the short term.

The European Tungsten Industry Association projected in 2026 that completely severing dependence on China would require at least 30 years.

As industry analysis notes, "The West overestimates the power of money and underestimates the power of time."

In short, the Austrian enterprise’s approach represents a meaningful local experiment, but it falls far short of altering Europe’s fundamental reality of deep dependence on China in the tungsten sector. The "security premium" pricing model in Europe’s tungsten market — "cost + security + delivery control" — is likely to become a long-term norm.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873917109751808/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.