China Owns 82% of the World's Tungsten. America Just Bid for 14% More.

China mines 82% of the world's tungsten — the metal in every tank-killing sabot round and every silicon chip cutting tool. Without it, Ukraine has no penetrators, Taiwan has no fabs. April 29, 2026: Cove Kaz Capital closed a deal with Kazakhstan's state miner Tau-Ken Samruk for two deposits in the Karaganda desert — Northern Katpar and Upper Kairakty. Projected output: 12,000 tonnes a year. ~14-15% of global supply. The twist: Don Jr. and Eric Trump invested \$20 million for a 20% stake via a Nasdaq shell (SKBL → KAZR). Export route bypasses Russia entirely: Karaganda → Aktau port → Caspian ferry → Baku → Turkey → Europe (the Middle Corridor). But here's the catch: the mine isn't built. The Definitive Feasibility Study starts in H2 2026. No tungsten has shipped. The \$700M DFC and \$900M EXIM commitments are still Letters of Interest — non-binding. Kazakhstan signed. America paid. China still mines. Sources: - BusinessWire (April 29, 2026) — Cove Kaz Capital closing - FT / MINING.com — Trump sons \$20M investment - Astana Times (Feb 2026) — DFC \$700M LOI - US Embassy Kazakhstan — DFC envoy statement - USGS 2025 Tungsten Mineral Commodity Summary — 82% China share - Eurasianet — American mining entity in Kazakhstan - Carnegie Endowment (April 2026) — Middle Corridor analysis Follow Money Maps for more. #geopolitics #kazakhstan #china #tungsten #criticalminerals #karaganda #middlecorridor #defense #moneymaps #Shorts