KEY POINTS
- Almonty will take Rwanda’s tungsten supply into Western markets under a new government-backed partnership.
- Rwanda will hold 25% of the local venture through an exploration concession and processing licence.
- The deal aims to reduce Western reliance on China, which dominates global tungsten production and processing.
US-based Almonty Industries has partnered with the Rwandan government to secure and process tungsten in the East African country, in a move aimed at strengthening Western supplies of the strategic mineral and reducing dependence on China.
Under a binding agreement announced on Monday, Rwanda will take a 25% stake in a local Almonty unit by contributing an exploration concession and a processing licence. Almonty, which is based in Dillon, Montana, will retain the remaining 75%.
The partnership comes as the United States and its allies intensify efforts to secure alternative sources of critical minerals amid China’s dominant position in global tungsten mining, processing and exports.
The agreement gives Almonty access to Rwanda’s existing tungsten mining industry while also creating a framework for developing new production and processing capacity.
The company plans to begin by purchasing ore, pre-concentrate and panning tailings from licensed Rwandan producers, including small-scale miners. The material can then be sold, upgraded or exported while the partners work toward establishing a permanent collection and processing facility in the country.
The venture also plans to deploy a mobile processing unit close to existing tailings dams and explore the approximately 32-square-kilometre Shyorongi concession.
Almonty CEO Lewis Black said the approach would allow the company to secure tungsten supplies in the short term instead of waiting several years for a new mine to be developed.
He said the model could eventually serve as a blueprint for other countries where tungsten production is dominated by small-scale mining.
The partnership reflects growing Western concern over China’s control of the tungsten supply chain.
China accounts for the vast majority of global tungsten mine production and has an even stronger position in processing. The metal is considered strategically important because of its use in defence applications, including armour-piercing weapons, as well as semiconductors and other industrial products.
Black said the US government helped structure the Rwanda partnership and provided political support, although it is not providing funding for the venture.
The tungsten produced through the partnership is expected to be supplied to customers in the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea.
The agreement comes as governments and companies seek to reduce exposure to supply disruptions following China’s restrictions on certain tungsten products.
Almonty’s plan to source material from existing Rwandan producers could provide faster access to tungsten, but it also presents challenges around traceability and responsible mining.
Rwanda’s mining industry includes a significant small-scale mining sector, meaning the partners will have to ensure that material meets Western requirements relating to labour standards, environmental practices and supply-chain transparency.
Rwanda has also faced allegations that tungsten originating from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi has been smuggled into the country, mixed with domestic production and exported as Rwandan material.
Black said Almonty intended to work only with licensed domestic producers and saw the partnership as an opportunity to formalise parts of Rwanda’s mining industry and improve traceability.
The company believes stronger oversight could help address concerns surrounding the origin of minerals entering international markets.
Rwanda gains bigger role in tungsten supply
Rwanda is the only African country among the world’s 10 largest tungsten producers, giving it an increasingly important role in efforts to diversify global supplies of the metal.
Trinity Metals, a Vancouver-based mining company, operates the Nyakabingo mine in Rwanda, described as the largest tungsten mine on the African continent.
In June, Trinity said more than 320 tonnes of high-grade tungsten concentrate from Nyakabingo had been shipped to a processing facility in Pennsylvania following an offtake agreement reached the previous year.
The shipments were reported to account for as much as 20% of US primary tungsten concentrate consumption, underlining Rwanda’s potential importance to American supply chains.
Tungsten prices have surged as Western buyers seek alternative sources and Chinese export restrictions tighten the market.
Prices have risen more than eightfold since Beijing placed certain tungsten products under export controls in February 2025, reaching almost $3,000 per metric tonne unit.
The rally accelerated earlier in 2026 as buyers drew down existing stockpiles and heightened military demand increased concerns about future availability.
Prices have since stabilised, but supply constraints remain a concern.
Investment researchers The Oregon Group said high prices alone would not be enough to solve the tungsten supply shortage, pointing to difficulties in financing, permitting and constructing new mining projects.
Government backing and long-term offtake agreements are therefore expected to remain important in developing alternative supply chains.
Almonty describes itself as a tungsten-focused investor and operator that works with governments to develop conflict-free mineral supplies.
The company is ramping up a major tungsten mine in South Korea and already has operations in Portugal, alongside additional projects in Spain and the United States.
The Rwanda agreement is expected to strengthen the company’s position in Africa while giving Western buyers another source of tungsten outside China’s dominant supply chain.
For Rwanda, the partnership could bring new investment, processing capacity, technology and market access while helping to formalise the country’s mining industry.
The deal also highlights the growing strategic importance of African mineral resources as the United States, Europe and Asian economies seek more secure supplies of critical minerals needed for defence, technology and advanced manufacturing.
