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Western Star Files Application With U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium as Tungsten Prices Rip and the West Scrambles for Non-China Supply
A submission into a U.S. DoW critical minerals solicitation, an inbound IR engagement targeting t...
About this update from Almonty Industries Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Western Star Files Application With U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium as Tungsten Prices Rip and the West Scrambles for Non-China SupplyIssued on behalf of Western Star Resources Inc.\nA submission into a U.S. DoW critical minerals solicitation, an inbound IR engagement targeting the European market, and a flow-through financing arrive in the middle of a tungsten supercycle — and 8 months before the U.S. defense procurement ban on Chinese tungsten takes effect. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada News Group News Commentary — The tungsten market has stopped trading like a niche industrial input. Rotterdam ammonium paratungstate (APT) — the benchmark intermediate — is changing hands near US$3,185 per metric tonne unit, up roughly 350% year-to-date and approximately 900% over the trailing 12 months. China still controls roughly 80% of global mine supply and dominates downstream APT, powder, and carbide processing, with Beijing limiting tungsten exports to just 15 approved firms through 2027. The U.S. has had no commercial tungsten mine production since 2015. And on January 1, 2027 — eight months from now — a federal procurement rule will bar Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean tungsten from key U.S. defense applications. Against that setup, Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) announced it has submitted an application in response to a solicitation from the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), a body managed by Advanced Technology International on behalf of the U.S. Department of War (DoW). The DIBC issued its critical minerals request for project proposal (RPP) in February 2026, with the DoW prioritizing supply chain alternatives for defense-critical minerals used in aircraft, missiles, semiconductors, and other defense technologies. Western Star’s submission focuses on tungsten (WO3). Blake Morgan, the CEO and President of Western Star, stated, “Western Star Resources is pleased to support DIBC initiatives focusing on strategic critical minerals. Our team will be traveling to Washington in May for meetings to discuss our past-producing tungsten asset. We believe this asset offers significant upside and look forward to demonstrating its potential as we approach our maiden drill program in 2026. Additional...