On Wednesday, October 28, SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy hosted a webinar launching its issue brief, “Retain, Recycle, Secure: The Role and Limits of Export Restrictions.” The event was especially timely, coming just two months after the Commerce Department implemented the export bans on battery and tungsten scrap in August 2026.
While these restrictions aim to expand domestic access to recyclable materials containing critical minerals, the measure of success should not be how much scrap stays in the U.S. but rather, how they can strengthen the supply chains that turns these scraps into useful inputs for U.S. industry, SAFE’s Minerals Center finds.
Through case studies of battery recycling (black mass), tungsten scrap, copper scrap, and rare earth permanent magnets, the issue brief found that each stage of the recycling value chain (from collection and preprocessing to material recovery, refining, and sale into downstream market) face distinct technical, regulatory, and economic challenges that vary by minerals and feedstock.
Joined by industry and academic experts, the discussion considered when restrictions on exports may support U.S. critical mineral security and domestic processing capacity—and where they may present disruptions to collection markets, established recycling networks, or supply chains with allies and partners.
Speakers:
- Avery Ash, Chief Executive Officer, SAFE
- Matt Sloustcher, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Communications Officer, MP Materials
- Paul Sedor, Vice President, Member & Industry Relations, Metal Powder Industries Federation
- Dr. Elsa Olivetti, Professor in Engineering, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Jeffrey Spangenberger, Group Leader, Materials Recycling R&D, Argonne National Laboratory
- Zoe Oysul, Policy Manager, SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy (moderator and presenter)
