On July 1 evening Xiamen Tungsten’s subsidiary Luoyang Yulu Mining effectively
halted production after upstream partner China Molybdenum suspended deliveries
of tungsten-bearing tailings. China Molybdenum said the pause reflects national
compliance requirements for tungsten mining and that Luoyang Yulu’s shareholders
have not agreed a handling plan, so the company stopped tailings supply to
ensure regulatory compliance. Industry sources note tungsten is managed as a
strategic metal under quota and export controls and that tailings are being
reclassified; supplying tungsten-containing tailings to Luoyang Yulu could
therefore raise quota, resource-flow or mining-rights compliance issues.
