Africa-Press – Rwanda. The first-ever containers of tungsten shipped directly from Rwanda to the United States arrived on Tuesday, September 30, a development touted as a historic milestone in the two countries’ relations.
The Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, D.C. confirmed that the shipment, sent by Trinity Metals, has successfully reached Global Tungsten and Powders (GTP) in Towanda, Pennsylvania.
“This direct Rwanda-US shipment of tungsten marks an important step in strengthening our bilateral trade ties and highlights Rwanda’s position as a trusted supplier of critical minerals,” the embassy said in a statement.
Today’s event was attended by US Ambassador to Rwanda Eric Kneedler and Deputy Head of Mission at the Rwandan Embassy in Washington Arthur Asiimwe.
The tungsten will be processed by GTP, part of the Plansee Group, one of the world’s leading tungsten refiners with over a century of experience. Based in Pennsylvania, GTP produces tungsten powders, carbide materials, and heavy alloy components that are essential for aerospace, defense, and high-performance manufacturing.
Trinity Metals said in a statement that under the commercial agreement reached in August, GTP’s processing facilities have begun receiving material from Rwanda for processing into high-quality tungsten and tungsten carbide powders that are used to produce finished components for industrial end uses.
“It is an honor to see our material from Rwanda here at one of the largest tungsten processors in the world being converted into products that will help make America safer, stronger, more prosperous,” Trinity Metals Chairman Shawn McCormick was quoted as saying in the statement on Tuesday.
“In turn, the nearly 7,000 employees of Trinity Metals and government of Rwanda will benefit from such market access and the deepening of strategic ties between the two countries.”
Plansee Group Director of Global Raw Materials Eric Rowe said: “We welcome this initial shipment of responsibly produced tungsten raw material to our mix and the American critical minerals supply chain. It is truly a historic moment to witness the arrival of this product in America from Rwanda.”
Traxys Head of Tin and Specialty Metals Ioannis Kallinikos said: “Traxys is proud to be the catalyst in enabling the reach of Africa’s most significant tungsten producer, Trinity Nyakabingo Mine, to a consumer of the caliber of GTP.”
Trinity Metals, which operates the Nyakabingo Mine in Rwanda, is Africa’s largest tungsten producer and ranks fourth globally.
The company produces about 120 tonnes of wolframite, the host mineral for tungsten, every month. While Rwanda has long exported significant quantities of tungsten, particularly to Austria, this is the first consistent supply line directly linking Kigali to American industry.
Trinity Metals was formed in 2022 by merging three historic mines, Nyakabingo Tungsten Mine, Rutongo Tin Mine and Musha Tin and Tantalum Mine, making it the largest producer of conflict-free and child labor-free critical minerals in Rwanda.
The company said it had also discovered a highly prospective Lithium deposit called Ntunga on its Musha concession.
It is also the first operating mine in Africa to secure technical assistance funding from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to support environmental and social governance (ESG) initiatives across its operations.
Rwanda reaped $1.7 billion from mineral exports in 2024, up from $373 million in 2017. The government projects annual mineral export revenues to reach $2.2 billion by 2029.
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