At a glance

Item Detail
Korean name 탄화텅스텐 (텅스텐카바이드)
English name Tungsten Carbide (WC)
CAS No. 12070-12-1
HS code 2849.90-9010
Formula WC
Imports, latest 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026) USD 206,860,143 / 1,297,453 kg
Imports, prior 12 months (Oct 2024–Sep 2025) USD 34,317,805 / 784,361 kg
Growth Value +502.8%, weight +65.4%
Main uses Cemented carbide tools and dies, wear parts, thermal-spray and overlay coatings

"Tungsten carbide" and "탄화텅스텐" are two names for the same material (WC).

Material overview

Tungsten carbide (WC) is a compound of tungsten and carbon known for extremely high hardness and wear resistance. It is reported to melt at about 2,870°C and have a density of about 15.6 g/cm³. Because it is difficult to sinter on its own, it is often mixed with a binder such as cobalt (Co) and used as cemented carbide.

Cemented carbide tools and wear parts are made by pressing and sintering WC powder, so particle size and carbon content determine final hardness and toughness. The key quality indicators are total and free carbon, particle size (D50 or FSSS) and its distribution, and impurities (Fe, Ca, Mo, etc.).

Applications by industry

  1. Cutting tools and inserts — the base material for turning and milling carbide inserts, drills and end mills.
  2. Dies and wear parts — used in wire-drawing dies, nozzles, and bearing and seal rings.
  3. Mining and construction — applied in drilling bits and wear components.
  4. Surface coatings — WC powder for thermal spray (HVOF, etc.) and overlay welding, and powder-blend coatings.
  5. Electronics and precision machining — fine-grain carbide tools such as PCB drill bits.

Storage and handling

Packaging is typically in kg units (1–25 kg containers, drums); actual specifications vary by supplier and should be confirmed. Store sealed, protected from moisture and contamination, and ventilate to avoid inhaling fine-powder dust. WC is often classified as an ordinary chemical or metal powder, but cobalt-blended powders require separate checks of composition labeling and the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

Market outlook

Korea import trend (Korea Customs Service, China origin)

On a 12-month basis, value rose 503% and weight rose 65%. Because the rise in value is far larger than the rise in weight, most of the added value came from a higher price per kg.

Month Import value (USD) Weight (kg) Unit price (USD/kg)
Oct 2025 1,237,390 21,601 57.28
Nov 2025 7,698,820 124,000 62.09
Dec 2025 11,265,500 181,801 61.97
Jan 2026 5,424,060 65,550 82.75
Feb 2026 5,522,830 37,400 147.67
Mar 2026 12,755,500 92,956 137.22
Apr 2026 45,944,000 198,275 231.72
May 2026 33,269,000 127,210 261.53
Jun 2026 24,142,200 114,310 211.20
Jul 2026 10,985,000 58,900 186.50
Aug 2026 33,629,100 188,150 178.74
Sep 2026 14,986,700 87,300 171.67

Monthly import values are rounded to the significant digits in the customs data and may differ from the totals after the decimal point; the 12-month totals in "At a glance" are exact.

  • Unit price path — from February to September 2025, monthly unit prices were mostly around USD 43–45 per kg. They began rising in October 2025, peaked at USD 261.53/kg in May 2026, then eased to USD 171.67/kg in September. Simple average unit price (value ÷ weight) was about USD 43.8/kg for the prior 12 months and about USD 159.4/kg for the latest 12 months.
  • Monthly swings — volumes tend to cluster in particular months, e.g. about 37 tonnes in February 2026, about 198 tonnes in April and about 188 tonnes in August.
  • Interpretation caveat — these unit prices are averages of declared import values and may reflect differences in grade, particle size and cobalt blending, so do not compare them directly with market quotations.

Background to the price rise (confirmed facts only)

Customs data alone cannot explain the cause. The background confirmed in public industry reports is as follows.

  • China's tungsten export controls — China introduced export controls on tungsten and certain other items in February 2025, after which exports required licenses. In an October 2025 announcement, China's Ministry of Commerce also published the application requirements and procedures for state-trading enterprises exporting tungsten, antimony and silver in 2026–2027.
  • Raw material price surge — according to MMTA/Fastmarkets analysis, APT (ammonium paratungstate) repeatedly set record highs throughout 2025, and the scramble for supply as the controls made the timing and feasibility of shipments uncertain is cited as a driver.
  • West–China price gap — per Canadian Mining Journal (2026-11-04, citing a MetalMiner report), Rotterdam APT was about USD 278.22/kg in October 2026 against about USD 74.43/kg ex-works China, a 3.74x gap. The report reads this as market segmentation by regulatory compliance, regional supply availability and processing capacity, not a single global shortage.

What we reserve judgment on — these reports concern raw materials (APT, concentrate) and export licensing. We could not confirm whether tungsten carbide powder (HS 2849.90-9010) itself is subject to the controls, or how much of the rise in Korea's import unit price is attributable to them. There are reports that APT prices in China have corrected, yet Korea's import unit price in September was still about four times its mid-2025 level; we do not draw conclusions on the timing or cause of the two trends.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Procurement comments

Specifications to check first, by use

Use Priority check items
Cemented carbide (tools, dies) Particle size (D50 or FSSS), total and free carbon, impurities, cobalt blending
Thermal spray / overlay coating Size range, morphology (spherical or crushed), flowability
Fine-grain precision tools Submicron to fine size specification, width of size distribution

COA check items — purity (WC content), total carbon (theoretical value about 6.13 wt%) and free carbon, particle size (FSSS or laser-diffraction D10/D50/D90), oxygen content, impurities (Fe, Ca, Mo, Na, etc. as specified), manufacturing method, batch number and analysis date.

Practical tips — tungsten carbide (2849.90-9010) and tungsten powder or cobalt-blended powder may fall under different HS codes, so confirm the classification before buying. When raw material prices swing widely, many quotations have short validity; fix the price reference date, currency and Incoterms in writing. Run your own particle-size and carbon analysis on a small trial order before scaling up.

TKNCO takes sourcing inquiries for tungsten carbide (CAS 12070-12-1) powder. Send the product name or CAS number and we confirm sourcing feasibility within 48 hours; any shipment comes with the manufacturer's lot-by-lot COA.

This brief summarizes the public sources below for general information and does not guarantee contract prices at any given time.

References