The Commerce Department order, effective August 27, aims to keep recoverable critical minerals in the U.S. as Washington tries to curb reliance on China despite limited domestic recycling capacity.
The United States will block exports of black mass, the shredded residue from lithium-ion batteries, and scrap containing tungsten for one year under a Commerce Department order that takes effect on August 27. The move follows an order signed last week by President Donald Trump giving federal officials the power to limit overseas shipments of scrap containing valuable critical minerals to China and other countries, part of a broader push to reduce reliance on Chinese processing. Waivers may be granted only on a case-by-case basis for "undue hardship" or "irreparable harm." The policy comes as the U.S. exports nearly 33,000 metric tons a month of electronic waste and other scrap, while domestic recyclers argue more material should stay in the country even though the U.S. still lacks enough capacity to process all of its own scrap.