Oldest US metals manufacturer turns to Africa’s mineral powerhouse for 3,600 tonnes of tin annually as it rebuilds domestic smelting industry after 37-year gap

Nathan Trotter & Co., founded in 1789, has secured a two-year supply agreement with Canadian-listed Alphamin Resources for up to 3,600 tonnes of contained tin annually from its Bisie mine in eastern Congo. The deal will supply raw material to the company’s new smelting facility in Virginia, which is expected to begin production in 2027.

The initial agreement runs for two years and represents just under 20% of Bisie’s targeted annual production.

Announced on November 9, the deal will provide raw material for Nathan Trotter’s new tin smelting facility under construction in Henry County, Virginia. The plant is targeting its first production in 2027.

The agreement gives the US a new source of African tin as Washington seeks to diversify critical mineral supply chains and strengthen domestic processing capacity.

Nathan Trotter is investing approximately $65 million in the Virginia facility, which is designed to process mined tin concentrate and recycled materials.

The US Department of Defense awarded the company $19 million in 2024 to support the development of domestic tin smelting, refining and recycling capacity.

According to the US Geological Survey, the country has not smelted primary tin since 1989 and relies heavily on imports for refined supplies. Tin is essential to solder used in electronic circuit boards, semiconductors, telecommunications equipment and defence systems.

Alphamin’s Bisie mine produces approximately 20,000 tonnes of contained tin annually, making it one of the largest primary tin sources outside Asia.

However, the new agreement is part of a diversification strategy rather than a complete shift away from China.

Alphamin chief executive Eoin O’Driscoll told commodities publication Fastmarkets in October that about 70% of the company’s concentrate sales went to Yunnan in China, where competitive processing charges have made it a major market. Most of its production is expected to continue going to China.

Alphamin has been pursuing new customers since Abu Dhabi-based International Resource Holding acquired a 56% stake in the miner in July 2025.

The company said the US supply arrangement supports Western refining capacity and aligns with the US-led Pax Silica initiative, which seeks to build more secure supply chains for critical minerals and technologies.