Rwandan company has secured a landmark agreement to provide Tungsten to the US

Trinity Metals stated that a historic deal has been reached to send tungsten concentrate directly from Rwanda to the United States. The first shipment is now being prepared.

This is the first time that the US has had a steady supply of high-quality tungsten from Africa’s Great Lakes area.

Trinity Metals runs the Nyakabingo Mine and is the biggest tungsten producer in Africa and the fourth biggest in the world. Every month, the company makes about 120 tonnes of wolframite, which is the host material for tungsten.

Tungsten is an important metal that is used to make lines, electrodes, and machine parts that don’t wear down easily. A lot of it is already being sent out of Rwanda, mostly to Austria, where it is processed for use in industry.

Trinity Metals said in a statement released on August 28 that it had finalized a business deal that will see tungsten concentrate (W03) from its Nyakabingo Mine sent straight to the United States. Global Tungsten and Powders (GTP), which is based in Pennsylvania and part of the Plansee Group, and Traxys, which is Trinity Metals’ offtake partner, made the deal.

GTP is one of the biggest tungsten processors in the world and has been doing it for more than 100 years. It makes high-quality tungsten and tungsten carbide powders and also turns tungsten heavy alloy powders into finished parts for the defense and aircraft industries.

“This is a historic agreement,” said Shawn McCormick, Chairman of Trinity Metals. “As the largest producer of tungsten on the continent, the company is very pleased to be working with both Traxys and America’s largest tungsten refiner…

Eric Rowe, Director of Global Raw Materials for Plansee, said that the deal gives them a new source of tungsten raw material that was responsibly mined. He said that this adds to the company’s supply of high-quality materials and helps the U.S. economy by providing this very important mineral.

Mark Kristoff, CEO of Traxys, said that the company was happy to start sending important minerals from Trinity Metals, Rwanda’s biggest miner, to GTP, America’s biggest tungsten processor.

“The clear alignment of business values and commitment to a long-term partnership is perfect,” he said.

It was created in 2022 when the Nyakabingo Tungsten Mine, the Rutongo Tin Mine, and the Musha Tin and Tantalum Mine merged into one company. Trinity has also found a very promising lithium source on its Musha concession. It is called Ntunga.