Tungsten is a very special metal. It is hard and can cut steel; it is flexible and can be drawn into filaments; it is heat-resistant and can work at high temperatures. Tungsten is called the "backbone of high-end manufacturing" because it plays an important role in many fields, such as machining, aerospace, military defense, electronic information, etc. Tungsten is not found everywhere, it is rare and difficult to replace. So, who has mastered tungsten, who has mastered a strategic advantage.

With the above tungsten resources, we produce more than 80% of the world's tungsten products. We have a complete tungsten industry chain, from mining tungsten ore to processing and manufacturing various tungsten products, we can do it. We have a wide range of tungsten products, including scheelite, wolframite, ammonium paratungstate, tungsten oxide powder, tungsten powder, tungsten carbide powder, cemented carbide, pure tungsten products, tungsten-based alloys and so on.

Our tungsten industry is not without problems. On the one hand, our technical level and product quality still need to be improved, especially in the high-end field. This is because Europe and the United States were not willing to sell us excellent technology and equipment, so we can only explore and develop ourselves. Although we have made great progress, there is still a certain gap with the better international level. Therefore, our tungsten industry presents a phenomenon of "high at both ends and low in the middle": upstream mining of tungsten ore and downstream manufacturing of high-end cemented carbide can make money, while midstream smelting, milling, medium and low-grade cemented carbide and tungsten materials are relatively disadvantaged. On the other hand, our market demand and competitiveness are not strong enough, leading us to sell many tungsten products abroad, and sell them very cheaply. This is equivalent to giving one's own resources to others in vain and losing more profits.

In recent years, Europe and the United States and other countries have also seen China's advantages and monopoly in tungsten, and began to think of ways to challenge us. At the end of 2020, the Australian government of Tasmania decided to spend 50 million yuan to redevelop an old tungsten mine called Dolphin Bay. This mine was discovered as early as 1911 and was exploited during World War II. In 2007, Australia's Golden Island white tungsten company acquired the mine, and plans to restart production. However, this project has not been implemented due to tungsten price fluctuations and insufficient funds. It will not be until the end of 2020 that the Tasmanian state government will fund the project. It is reported that the mine has a tungsten resource reserve of 21000 tons and is expected to produce 15000 tons of tungsten concentrate per year.

In addition to Australia, Europe is also stepping up the development of its own tungsten industry. In March 2021, the European Union announced that it would invest 0.33 billion million euros in a project called the European Tungsten Union. The project aims to enhance Europe's independent capabilities and competitiveness in the field of tungsten, and establish a complete tungsten industry chain covering from mines to terminal applications by integrating tungsten resources, technologies and markets in European countries. The project involves Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and other countries and regions, as well as a number of tungsten enterprises and research institutions.

In the face of the challenges of Europe and the United States and other countries, China's tungsten industry can not be taken lightly, nor can it rest on its laurels. We must adhere to the path of independent innovation, improve the level of science and technology and product quality, develop more high-end products and applications, and enhance the added value and competitiveness of the tungsten industry. We must adhere to the path of green development, protect our tungsten resources, realize the sustainable development of the tungsten industry, and reduce the impact on the environment. We must adhere to the path of open cooperation, actively participate in the formulation of international markets and rules, promote the globalization and diversified development of the tungsten industry, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.