Alphamin Resources (TSXV: AFM; JSE: APH) has agreed to supply a new U.S. smelter with tin concentrate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, diversifying its sales as Washington backs domestic minerals processing.
The initial two-year deal covers up to 3,600 tonnes of contained tin annually from Bisie, about 180 km northwest of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The material is destined for U.S. refiner Nathan Trotter & Co.’s $65-million (C$92 million) smelter in Virginia, which targets first production next year, Mauritius-based Alphamin said Monday.
“Alphamin has been actively seeking to diversify its customer base and to support the development of western tin refining capacity,” the company said in a release.
The allocation would account for up to 18% of Bisie’s targeted annual output, linking an established African mine to new U.S. processing capacity. For American manufacturers, the arrangement offers a potential source of tin for solder used in electronics and defence equipment.
Alphamin shares traded 6.6% higher at C$1.30 on the TSX Venture Exchange at noon on Monday, giving the company a market value of about C$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion).
US processing
Nathan Trotter is building its Tin Ridge facility in Henry County, Virginia. The project, announced in September 2025, is designed to process both tin concentrate and scrap and create an estimated 118 jobs at full capacity.
Alphamin didn’t disclose pricing, treatment charges or the expected date of first shipments. The company cautioned that construction and commissioning delays at the smelter could affect the arrangement.
The Pentagon awarded Nathan Trotter $19 million in 2024 to develop domestic tin processing.
Alphamin CEO Eoin O’Driscoll told commodities pricing agency Fastmarkets last month that about 70% of the company’s concentrate went to Yunnan in China, where competitive processing charges helped attract its business. Most of Alphamin’s concentrate would continue to go to China, he said.
Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding became Alphamin’s controlling shareholder in July 2025 after buying a 56% interest through its Alpha Mining subsidiary. IRH supports the U.S. supply arrangement, Alphamin said Monday.
Supply risks
U.S. processing would still depend on reliable shipments from eastern Congo. Alphamin halted mining and processing at Bisie on March 13, 2025, because of security concerns, then began a phased resumption of tin production on April 15.
Bisie produced 5,030 tonnes of tin in the quarter ended Sept. 30, broadly unchanged from the preceding three months and consistent with Alphamin’s annual guidance of 20,000 tonnes, the company reported Oct. 6. Alphamin indirectly owns 84.14% of the operating subsidiary; the production figures are reported on a full-mine basis.
Alphamin warned in that update that the fourth quarter is usually its most difficult period for logistics. It had mobilized additional trucks and fuel reserves to prepare for a potentially more disruptive rainy season.
Source: https://www.mining.com/alphamin-directs-congo-tin-to-new-us-smelter/
