After China cut off the supply of tungsten raw materials, Fuji Seiko's orders plummeted, beginning to affect Japan's weapon production!
According to a report by the Chinese version of Nikkei Economic News, on April 14, precision tool manufacturer Fuji Seiko (Fuji Seiko) publicly announced that due to China's enhanced export controls on rare metals, the supply of tungsten powder—the key raw material for its cutting tools business—has experienced severe disruptions.
Fuji Seiko stated that tungsten powder orders placed since the beginning of the year have been blocked at customs, with "no timeline yet for resuming imports." In its financial outlook for the fiscal year ending February 2027, the company anticipates a year-on-year drop of 88.5% in consolidated net profit.
Fuji Seiko is an outsourced supplier for major Japanese defense giants Mitsubishi and Kawasaki. Its products span a wide range—from rocket engines to Patriot interceptors—relying heavily on the precision cutting tools produced by this company. Now, as the ripple effects of the tungsten raw material supply cutoff gradually unfold, Japan’s weapons manufacturing has begun to face tangible impacts.
Tungsten is a rare metal known for its high hardness and melting point, widely used in manufacturing ultra-hard alloy cutting tools, armor-piercing projectiles, rocket engine components, and precision equipment for missile fabrication. China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of tungsten resources, controlling about 80% of global tungsten mine output and the vast majority of tungsten product processing capacity.
Japan produces almost no tungsten ore domestically and relies heavily on Chinese tungsten raw materials. According to Japanese statistical data, China accounts for over 80% of Japan’s imports of tungsten and molybdenum-related products. In 2024, China exported approximately 5,065 tons of tungsten materials and tungsten products to Japan, representing around 22% of China’s total tungsten product exports.
Fuji Seiko’s predicament is not an isolated incident—the impact is now cascading upward through the industrial chain into Japan’s defense sector. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and IHI have already begun assessing the implications of supply chain disruptions, with their statements revealing deep-seated anxiety over supply stability. In my view, this is merely an early sign; the full extent of the impact will only become apparent in the coming years.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862516240231500/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.