Tungsten: The War Over the Metal of War

This is a solo episode and is a primer on the tungsten market. We haven't published any episodes without a guest, so if you like this (or don't!), let me know and we can mix in more of these types of pods. In the critical metals space, tungsten has become the topic du jour. The narrative around critical mineral investing has shifted in recent years away from ESG and green growth and towards national defense supply chains. Due, in part, to this shift certain metals associated with the theme have grabbed investor attention. This is where the tungsten story begins. I want to walk through the basics, the nuances, and the misunderstandings of this unique metal. Thanks almost exclusively to policy choices in Beijing and Washington, tungsten's price has exploded and bifurcated into two distinct markets. The free flow of tungsten materials is, for now, a thing of the past. Just ask a toolmaker in Japan how things have changed and you’ll get an idea. So given this pricing anomaly and tungsten's indispensable role in certain sectors of the economy, taking a closer look seems prudent to say the least. This is meant to be a shorter primer on the metal of war. If you found it useful, share it with someone who wants to understand tungsten better. Also, don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time.