Almonty Industries gains from a policy-driven tungsten squeeze outside China. Every advanced chip uses WF6 gas made from tungsten, with no mature substitute. China's tungsten powder exports to Japan were zero, and outside China tungsten sits 3% off its high. From 2027, Pentagon contractors cannot use tungsten from China, Russia, North Korea or Iran, about 84% of supply; 18 months is also what chipmakers need to substitute away. Almonty's Korean Sangdong mine and Portugal pit own that floor. … Show more

Critical-metals miners such as tungsten producer Almonty Industries supply inputs AI cannot do without, and those inputs are barely priced. Almonty CEO Lewis Black says every semiconductor needs tungsten gas in fabrication, with zero substitutes, and the AI trade has run through chips, memory and power but not raw materials. He blames the sector's weak year on hyped junior miners without operating mines; the ones to own have real mines, growing revenue and profits, and invested management. x.com 

China's tungsten export cutoff hands pricing power to the two meaningful Western producers, and EQ Resources is far cheaper than Almonty Industries. China spent 40 years closing Western mines with below-cost supply, then halted exports; APT prices rose from $320 to $3,000 in 14 months, new mines need 2+ years, and a US defense ban on Chinese and Russian tungsten starts January 2027. Almonty trades at $81,000 EV per annual mtu; EQ Resources produces nearly 3x the volume at $5,600 per mtu. x.com 

Critical-materials suppliers offer exposure to a major bottleneck this decade: AI, data centers, defense, robotics and electrification should drive massive demand across copper, graphite, rare earths, nuclear fuel and other inputs.
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EQ Resources' best upside is still ahead as higher-grade ore reaches production at Mt Carbine in Queensland. It removed 1.6 million tonnes of waste rock to unlock the Iolanthe vein, which runs 3 to 4 times current grade. More tungsten per tonne with APT near $3,000, up from $320 a year ago, is an extraordinary margin story. Production already rose 33% last quarter, the new CEO ran one of the world's largest tungsten mines, and the US defense ban on Chinese tungsten starts January 2027. x.com 

Almonty's only upside lies in excellent execution, and the tungsten thesis has to play out all the way. EQR, by contrast, could multiply simply by catching up and being discovered by the market. A reply from another investor adds that Almonty is very expensive at this stage. x.com 

EQ Resources is a strong pick as the West secures tungsten and other critical-mineral supply away from China and Russia. A post the author replies to notes Elmet's SEC filings show five-year deals with the Australian supplier rather than Vietnam's Masan; Australia and Spain are a good shout, and Spain is far more Western-aligned than Vietnam. Vietnam, the world's second-largest tungsten producer, remains a major area of interest, though it sits neutral between China and the US. x.com  x.com  x.com  … Show more

Perpetua Resources' Stibnite project is in the right spot as the US runs short of tungsten as well as antimony. Commerce will block tungsten scrap exports, and the Pentagon needs both metals to replace missiles used in Iran and Ukraine. Perpetua's first drilling in nearly a decade hit high-grade gold, antimony and tungsten, including 21.3 meters at 3.2 g/t gold and 0.9% tungsten at Yellow Pine. Stibnite was the top US tungsten mine in 1941-45, and the project is fully funded. x.com 

EQ Resources looks like a no-brainer because the tungsten rally is not yet reflected in its earnings and it is less known than Almonty. China has stopped exporting tungsten and become a net importer amid surging defense demand and the AI buildout; per @KawzInvests, tungsten rose from $320 to $3,000/mtu in 18 months. Almonty's upside needs excellent execution, while EQR could multiply simply by being discovered. x.com  x.com 

United States Antimony is the premier play on US decoupling from China because it owns North America's only functional antimony smelting capacity as China tightens export controls. A $248 million sole-source Defense Logistics Agency contract brings new contracts to $354 million, with 2026 revenue projected at $125 million versus $39 million in 2025. Restarting the Stibnite Hill mine captures antimony prices up 230% in a year, and the Fostung tungsten project adds upside. It is a 1-2 year hold. … Show more