(Tungsten) carbide prices

[jstell]

It's just like RAM or graphics cards

The difference is pretty significant.  With computer stuff it's mostly a demand side problem because of AI/data center demand.  Yes there are some supply side pressures because China has a large portion of other precious metal resources.  But with Tungsten there isn't a huge spike in demand, with maybe some pressure to replenish this administrations expenditures folly in Iran.  Tungsten is a purposeful, unilateral supply side problem created by China, largely to squeeze US (and other Western) manufacturing and military supply chains.  It's the manufacturing equivalent of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, except pinching 80% of world supply instead of 20%.

https://nzxt.com/blogs/news/why-is-ram-so-expensive-right-now?srsltid=AfmBOooDNPQMq0TZFV7m730YqaUmMaOZ0nOIeyRApN71J7pLzAZoAvPa

The current high cost of RAM is driven primarily by soaring AI and data center demand, which has forced manufacturers to prioritize production away from consumer DDR4 and DDR5. This reduced supply has made all memory more expensive for PC builders and system integrators.

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/why-have-laptop-prices-spiked-this-year-the-great-ram-crunch-explained