U.S. President Donald Trump chaired the Roundtable
KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda’s role in the U.S. critical minerals supply chain is gaining attention in Washington.
Shawn McCormick, chairman of Rwanda-based Trinity Metals, attended an American Mining Industry Roundtable in Washington last week. The meeting was convened by the U.S. President Donald Trump.
McCormick used the occasion to highlight Trinity’s Nyakabingo tungsten mine in Rwanda.
The company said this Tuesday that the mine is the first and only mine in Africa supplying tungsten concentrate directly to the United States.
It said the mine can account for up to 20 percent of primary tungsten concentrate processed in the U.S.
The development gives Rwanda a growing role in Washington’s effort to strengthen critical mineral supply chains.
Tungsten is considered a strategic mineral. It is used in industrial manufacturing, defense and other high-performance applications.
Trinity said it was also the first operating mine to receive financing from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, known as DFC.
The company has previously disclosed that the DFC provided $3.685 million in direct technical assistance. The funding supports environmental and social management, skills development and the expansion of its mining operations.
The Nyakabingo mine, in northern Rwanda, has become an important source of tungsten for the American market.
Trinity began shipping tungsten concentrate from Rwanda to the United States in 2025. The material is processed in Pennsylvania into tungsten powders used in industrial applications.
By June 2026, more than 320 tonnes of concentrate had been shipped to the United States. Trinity said the mine was then supplying up to 20 percent of U.S. primary tungsten concentrate consumption.
Trinity said its participation in the Washington meeting also reflected growing U.S.-Rwanda cooperation on critical minerals.
“We appreciated the opportunity to join the discussion and support a strong U.S.-Rwanda critical minerals partnership,” the company said in a statement.
The company was formed in 2022 through the merger of Nyakabingo Tungsten Mine, Rutongo Tin Mine and Musha Tin and Tantalum Mine. It has since become one of Rwanda’s largest mining companies.
The company is also expanding production. It has announced plans to invest between $45 million and $60 million in a tungsten processing plant at Nyakabingo. The plant is expected to process 60 tonnes of tungsten ore an hour when operational.
The developments come as the United States seeks to diversify its sources of critical minerals and reduce vulnerabilities in global supply chains.
For Rwanda, the growing U.S. market offers a new strategic outlet for one of its most important mineral resources.
Trinity’s latest engagement in Washington underscores how the country’s mining sector is becoming increasingly linked to the global race for secure supplies of critical minerals.
