Published by Tungco | Cliff’s Notes Podcast Series
In Season 4, Episode 4 of Cliff’s Notes, recorded live at the ITIA conference in Berlin, Tungco CEO Cliff Nance sits down with Dr. Hady Seyeda — CEO of HC Starck, one of the world’s leading tungsten processors — for one of the most technically informed conversations about tungsten the podcast has produced. Dr. Hady Seyeda holds a PhD in solid state chemistry, joined HC Starck in R&D; in 1998, and brings nearly three decades of tungsten industry experience to the conversation.
■ Watch Season 4, Episode 4 on YouTube
HC Starck’s €50M Recycling Expansion
HC Starck’s most significant recent announcement is a 50 million euro investment to expand their recycling facility in Goslar, Germany — growing capacity from approximately 5,000 tons to 7,000 tons. The expansion builds on existing infrastructure rather than greenfielding a new site, which made both strategic and economic sense. The goal is straightforward: bring more tungsten units back into the market from recycled material at a moment when primary supply from China is being actively restricted. Dr. Hady Seyeda is direct that this investment is one of HC Starck’s most important responses to the current supply environment.
China’s Dual-Use Classification: A 50%+ Volume Drop
One of the most important data points in this episode is Dr. Hady Seyeda’s account of what China’s new dual-use classification for tungsten has actually done to export volumes. China has had export licenses for tungsten for decades — historically around 15 companies held those licenses. What changed recently is that those licenses are no longer sufficient. Exporters now also need a separate additional permit requiring end-user certificates and detailed documentation of the intended use.
The result: total tungsten export volumes from China have dropped by more than 50%. Dr. Hady Seyeda notes this is not a new direction for China — restricting concentrate exports has been their playbook for decades — but the additional permit layer represents a meaningful escalation that has materially tightened Western supply.
On the other side, the US has recently moved to stop exporting tungsten scrap. Dr. Hady Seyeda flags this as a notable development and raises the question Cliff echoes: will Europe follow? And if countries begin restricting their own tungsten assets in response, what does that do to the global supply picture?
Western Mining: Later Than You Think
Cliff raises the optimistic timeline he’s been hearing — Western tungsten mines in production by late 2027 to 2028. Dr. Hady Seyeda’s response is measured: that’s optimistic. A new mine can take five to ten years from development to production depending on depth and jurisdiction. His honest read is that the tight supply situation will persist for at least two to three more years before new projects begin to meaningfully ease the pressure. For anyone in the tungsten supply chain planning inventory or pricing strategy, this is the number to hold.
Two Emerging Tungsten Demand Stories Worth Watching
Beyond the supply conversation, Episode 4 covers two growing demand applications that don’t get enough attention in most tungsten market discussions:
- Fusion reactors: Tungsten is critical in two areas of a fusion reactor — heat protection of the walls and the heat transfer stage where neutrons are recaptured. HC Starck’s team has a dedicated presentation on this at ITI. As fusion development accelerates, tungsten demand in this application will grow alongside it.
- AI chips and semiconductors: Tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) is used to form layers in semiconductor manufacturing — a mature but growing market being driven by AI’s insatiable demand for computing power. A potential partial future alternative, molybdenum (MOLLE), can enable more layers in certain chip architectures, but tungsten remains dominant across most semiconductor types today.
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