Which country is the largest producer of tungsten in the world?

Tungsten (W) has the highest melting point (3422 C, 6192 F) and boiling point (5930 C, 10706 F) on earth. It is produced from wolframite and scheelite ores. Tungsten was first discovered as a distinct element in the late 18th century. It is used for ballistic missiles, drills, filaments of light bulbs and x-ray tubes.

China is the largest producer of W in the world, with the country's annual production of 64,000 tons being equivalent to over 83% of the global production. China also has the world's largest reserves of ores used in the production of W. Over production in China has led to the dramatic fall in global W prices. It is compounded by the fact that W is also produced as a by-product in the production of other metals including molybdenum. As a remedy to domestic over production, the Chinese government has instituted a production ceiling of W which is currently at 91,300 tons per year. Russia is the second-largest producer. Other key W producers in the world are the United States, Bolivia, Canada, Vietnam, Portugal, Austria, Rwanda, Spain and Brazil.