Suppliers of tungsten waste and black mass — a shredded form of metals from old lithium-ion batteries — will be required to sell domestically, although they can apply for exemptions, according to a rule published on the Federal Register. The restriction will remain in place for one year.

Trump last week signed a measure that allows officials to restrict exports of industrial waste containing critical minerals and materials, or CMMs. That’s part of a push to use the Cold War-era Defense Production Act to shore up supplies and reduce dependence on China. 

“The President stated that the inadequate supply of CMMs poses an increasing risk to our national defence and security, and it is imperative that the United States take immediate action to secure the supply of recoverable CMMs,” the Department of Commerce said in the statement on the register.

Tungsten is a tough metal used in everything from military armour and ammunition to precision tools in car plants, and is among the cluster of metals subject to Chinese export controls. Black mass is made from recycled lithium-ion batteries and is a growing alternative source of lithium, cobalt, nickel and other materials.

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