The US has a critical shortage of explosives, Russia and China have stopped exports

The United States is experiencing difficulties in sourcing TNT (trinitrotoluene), an important explosive used by the military and in the construction industry. It used to be produced in large quantities domestically, but the factories were closed in the 1980s due to the hazardous waste involved.

As the New York Times reports, the US was primarily dependent on imports from Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and China, as well as on recycling older ammunition. However, the situation has changed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia and China have stopped their exports, and Poland supplies most of its production to Ukraine, which uses everything it produces for its own military purposes. And the US Army is keeping its old ammunition and no longer producing recycled TNT from discarded pieces.

The shortage of TNT not only jeopardizes weapons production, but also work in the quarry. Congress has therefore approved the construction of a new plant in Kentucky for $435 million, which is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2028, but will only produce for the army.

To ensure that work in the quarries can continue even during the invasion of Ukraine, companies are looking for alternatives. For example, PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate), which is already produced in the US but is in limited supply. The Pentagon has reportedly already diversified its supplies and is working to strengthen domestic production of explosives.

(max)