Germany looks to Vietnam's largest tungsten mine for critical mineral supply diversification

Germany is turning its attention to Vietnam’s Nui Phao mine, one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits outside China, as part of efforts to diversify supplies of strategic minerals.

A mission of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, led by Parliamentary State Secretary Stefan Rouenhoff, visited Masan High-Tech Materials (MHT), the operator of Nui Phao mine in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on Tuesday, reflecting Berlin’s efforts to diversify supplies of strategic minerals such as tungsten.

Rouenhoff said tungsten is essential not only for defence industries but also for a broad range of high-tech sectors, making the site visit one of the top priorities of his Vietnam trip.

Germany is working to improve supply-chain security by expanding access to strategic resources beyond its traditional markets, he added.

Welcoming the German delegation, Ashley McAleese, CEO of Masan High-Tech Materials, said that MHT owns the world’s largest primary tungsten deposit outside China, ranks among the top three global fluorspar producers, and is one of the few suppliers of primary bismuth worldwide.

The executive outlined the company’s deep-processing capabilities, high-tech materials strategy and plans to broaden international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the German delegation toured Nui Phao mine and MHT’s tungsten processing facilities.

Rouenhoff praised MHT’s integrated model spanning upstream mining to downstream refining, its technology adoption, and its predominantly Vietnamese engineering and management workforce. The delegation also highlighted MHT’s application of advanced technologies and sustainable mining practices.

Rouenhoff said Germany aims to strengthen economic and industrial cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in energy and strategic materials. MHT, he added, plays a significant role in Vietnam’s strategic-materials sector.

Germany is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade close to $8 billion. Officials said the visit gives Berlin clearer insight into Vietnam’s tungsten-processing capabilities and its broader high-tech materials ecosystem.