Rwanda Tungsten Mine Gains Strategic Role In U.S. Critical Minerals Supply Chain

Kigali, August 11, 2026 - Rwanda's Nyakabingo tungsten mine has emerged as a strategic supplier to the United States, strengthening Kigali's role in critical minerals supply chains as Washington seeks to diversify sources of industrial and defense inputs.

Trinity Metals Chairman Shawn McCormick attended an American mining industry roundtable in Washington the previous week, convened by U.S. President Donald Trump, where he highlighted the Rwanda-based company's tungsten operations. Trinity said Nyakabingo is the first and only mine in Africa supplying tungsten concentrate directly to the United States.

The company said the mine can account for up to 20 percent of primary tungsten concentrate processed in the United States. By June 2026, Trinity said more than 320 tonnes of tungsten concentrate had been shipped from Rwanda to the United States since exports began in 2025, with processing taking place in Pennsylvania.

Trinity said it was also the first operating mine to receive financing from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, including $3.685 million in technical assistance for environmental and social management, skills development and operational expansion.

The company, formed in 2022 through the merger of Nyakabingo Tungsten Mine, Rutongo Tin Mine and Musha Tin and Tantalum Mine, plans to invest $45 million to $60 million in a tungsten processing plant at Nyakabingo. The project is expected to process 60 tonnes of tungsten ore an hour when operational, reinforcing Rwanda's positioning as a higher-value minerals partner.