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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Almonty Industries is a structural bottleneck play on a secure Western tungsten supply chain. With Phase 1 of its Sangdong mine commissioned in March 2026, it has moved from developer risk to producer with pricing power. Sangdong is a Tier-1 asset with grades 3x the global average, and at full Phase 2 capacity in 2027 it will control about 40% of non-Chinese supply. 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 

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

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 

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 

Rare earths and critical minerals may be the most misunderstood yet important sector of the next decade: no defense, energy or AI boom happens without them. IperionX is reshoring titanium for defense and aerospace from recycled feedstock, with heavy rare earth optionality and deep government backing. Elmet Group, the only American-owned integrated tungsten and molybdenum maker, can fill the gap as the US bans Chinese tungsten in defense from 2027; it is profitable with a record defense backlog. … Show more

Rare earths and other critical minerals are the choke point for AI, EVs, defense and energy, and with supply tight and demand locked in, this is where 10x returns begin. The ecosystem spans rare earths (MP Materials, USA Rare Earth, Idaho Strategic), uranium (Cameco, NexGen, Uranium Energy, Denison, Energy Fuels, Centrus), lithium (Albemarle, SQM, Lithium Americas, Sigma, Rio Tinto), copper (Freeport, Southern Copper, Taseko, Hudbay, Ero), graphite, antimony and multi-mineral names. 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

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