[News] China’s Tungsten Export Curbs Send AI PCB Drill Bit Prices Soaring; Nearly 80% Global Output Share Highlights Supply Risks

What happened

According to Nikkei, China's export restrictions on critical metals are disrupting supplies of micro drill bits, affecting refiners in Japan, Taiwan, the U.S. and Europe and sending drill bit prices soaring severalfold. Micro drill bits create tiny holes in PCBs and chip substrates for electrical connections between layers. Per Taiwan's Mirror Daily, PCB drill bit maker Topoint Technology said thicker, multilayer AI server boards now require four to five drill bits per drilling set, up from around three previously, and the company is developing longer, higher-aspect-ratio bits. Per the U.S. Geological Survey (cited by Nikkei), China accounted for approximately 79% of global tungsten production in 2025, with other producers (Vietnam, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Australia, Austria) holding much smaller shares; high-end tungsten carbide suppliers Sumitomo Electric Industries, Kyocera, Mitsubishi Materials, Kennametal and Sandvik remain vulnerable to China's dominance in refined tungsten materials and powders. Per China Nonferrous Metals News, Shenzhen Jinzhou Precision Technology, a subsidiary of China Tungsten High-Tech, has launched six capacity expansion projects since 2025, expected to add nearly 800 million micro drill bits in capacity. Per Shanghai Metals Market data cited by Nikkei, prices of ammonium paratungstate (APT), an intermediate tungsten product and key pricing benchmark, surged from around RMB 212,750 (US$31,900) per metric ton in February 2025 to more than RMB 530,000 as of the week of the report.

Impact and signal

Affected components and suppliers

Source and time

Source: TrendForce · 11/8/2026 · View original source