US tin producer Nathan Trotter has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Rwandan tin miner Trinity Metals to build a US-Rwandan tin supply chain.
Nathan Trotter, who last year received a US$20 million grant from the US Department of Defense to expand operations and restart primary tin smelting in the US, met with Trinity Metals at the US State Department to sign the LOI.
This followed a US$3.9 million funding package for Trinity Metals from the US International Development Finance Corporation in 2024, with Trinity presenting itself as an opportunity to secure alternative supply chains of critical minerals.
Trinity Metals, established as a merger between three Rwandan mining companies with equity backing from Techmet. Trinity operates the Rutongo and Musha tin mines, and is the country’s largest producer, contributing almost half of Rwanda’s estimated 3,200 tpa tin output.
Trinity has been working to formalise and significantly expand operations at its mines, with production across the company’s tin and tungsten assets increasing 70% from 2022 to 2024. The company is planning further major expansion at Rutongo and Musha and estimates a mine life of more than 30 years at both.
The company has seen high profile mine visits from US Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, and US congressman, Ronny Jackson, while Trinity Metals executives also met with Rwanda’s President Kagame last month to discuss mining investment in the country.
The US has not mined tin since the 1985 price crash and has not seen primary tin metal production since the closure of the Longhorn smelter in Texas in the early 2000s. The country, which is the world’s second largest consumer of refined tin, is approximately 75% reliant on imports, mostly from South America and Indonesia.
Our view: ITA is pleased to see progress towards a more diversified tin supply chain, and we look forward to further news from Nathan Trotter and Trinity Metals.
