U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, this week questioned Almonty Industries Inc. about the company’s capacity and commitment to supply the United States with tungsten, a critical mineral essential to the U.S. defense industrial base.
“Tungsten is an essential input in a wide range of defense systems, including armor-piercing munitions, aerospace components, and advanced electronics,” wrote Rep. Moolenaar in a June 2 letter sent to Almonty Industries Chairman Lewis Black. “It is also a mineral over which the United States remains heavily import-dependent — most notably on sources tied to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“This dependency poses a significant risk to our defense industrial base and warfighting readiness,” the committee chairman wrote, also seeking to understand how Almonty’s mining operation could reduce U.S. reliance on China for the key import.
Rep. Moolenaar requested that Black answer several questions and provide data on Almonty’s reserves, production capacity, and current commercial relationships, including with Chinese offtakers.
For instance, he asked Black if Almonty intends to supply a portion of its Sangdong mine tungsten production in South Korea to support U.S. defense industrial base needs, either through direct supply agreements with partners in the industrial base, contribution to the National Defense Stockpile, or other avenues.
The lawmaker also asked if there are currently any supply agreements or negotiations underway between Almonty and U.S. defense contractors or government agencies, and what percentage of the company’s projected Sangdong tungsten output could be made available to the U.S. defense sector, among other questions, according to the letter.
“The information sought here will further the Select Committee’s understanding of these issues and inform its policy recommendations,” wrote Rep. Moolenaar.