Global tungsten supply is tightening as demand from AI, semiconductors, and defense keeps rising, according to a ZeroHedge report citing comments from Almonty Industries CEO Lewis Black. The report says China’s dominance in tungsten raw materials is amplifying supply chain risk at a time when non-Chinese supply available to Western buyers remains limited and much of it has already been committed. The pressure is showing up in semiconductor materials. Tungsten hexafluoride, or WF₆, is used to form tiny tungsten interconnects in advanced memory chip manufacturing. Japanese producers Kanto Denka and Central Glass, which previously accounted for about a quarter of global WF₆ supply combined, stopped production on July 1 after failing to secure the high-purity tungsten powder required for manufacturing. The feedstock is mainly sourced from China, which tightened tungsten-related exports starting in 2025. Samsung and SK Hynix are now moving to find and qualify alternative WF₆ suppliers. The market expects WF₆ prices to rise 70% to 90% in the second half of the year. At the same time, one Chinese company has announced plans to add 1,000 tons of annual WF₆ capacity. Beyond chips, supply stress is also spreading into the hard metals and cutting tools sectors in Japan, Europe, and the United States, while APT prices in Western markets remain above $3,000 per mtu WO₃.