CME Group Plans To Launch Tungsten Futures in Early 2027

CME Group announced on October 19, 2026, that it plans to launch tungsten futures in early Q1 2027, subject to regulatory review. The proposed contract would introduce an exchange-traded futures instrument to a tungsten market that has historically relied heavily on physical transactions and price assessments.
 

The contract will be financially settled against Fastmarkets' assessment for ammonium paratungstate (APT), a key intermediate product in the tungsten supply chain. The benchmark will use duty-unpaid CIF price assessments for Rotterdam and Baltimore. The contract will be listed on COMEX and will be subject to its rules.
 

CME Group said the new contract is intended to help market participants manage price exposure and improve price transparency. This may be relevant to tungsten producers, processors, traders and manufacturers that need to manage fluctuations in raw material costs or sales prices. Industry participants have also highlighted the potential value of more reliable forward pricing for planning purchases and production.
 

The announcement comes as tungsten continues to attract attention as a critical industrial material used in applications ranging from hardmetals and industrial machinery to advanced manufacturing. CME Group reported that its metals business averaged 1.2 million contracts traded daily across precious and industrial metals during the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 41% year on year.
 

The planned launch does not mean that tungsten futures are already trading, nor does it directly increase physical tungsten supply. Its practical effect will depend on regulatory approval and market participation after launch. For companies buying or selling tungsten materials, the development is worth monitoring as new tools for price discovery and financial risk management enter the market.