By: OrePulse

Alphamin Resources (TSXV: AFM; JSE: APH) has agreed to supply up to 3,600 tonnes of contained tin concentrate per year to a newly built U.S. smelter, under an initial two-year deal that will route ore from its Bisie mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nathan Trotter & Co.'s Tin Ridge facility in Henry County, Virginia.

The volume represents as much as 18% of Bisie's targeted annual output and marks Alphamin's first significant customer outside China, where about 70% of the mine's concentrate currently goes to smelters in Yunnan province. The Mauritius-based miner did not disclose pricing, treatment charges, or a first shipment date for the new arrangement, and said construction or commissioning delays at the Virginia smelter could affect the timeline. The agreement fits into a wider U.S. push to rebuild domestic processing capacity for minerals such as tin, which has drawn direct federal backing in recent years.

"Alphamin has been actively seeking to diversify its customer base," the company said in a release announcing the agreement.

Tin Ridge, announced in September 2025, is designed to process both tin concentrate and scrap. The $65 million (C$92 million) project is targeting first production next year and is expected to employ about 118 people once fully operational. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Nathan Trotter $19 million in 2024 to help build domestic tin-processing capacity, part of a broader federal push to expand minerals refining inside the United States.

Alphamin's controlling shareholder, Abu Dhabi-based International Resources Holding, which acquired a 56% stake in the company in July 2025, backed the new supply arrangement. Alphamin indirectly holds an 84.14% interest in the subsidiary that operates Bisie.

Chief executive Eoin O'Driscoll told the pricing agency Fastmarkets last month that competitive processing charges in Yunnan helped Chinese smelters win most of Alphamin's business, and he indicated that most of the company's concentrate would keep flowing there even as the Virginia deal moves forward. No other customers were named.

Investors welcomed the announcement: Alphamin shares climbed 6.6% to C$1.30 on the TSX Venture Exchange at midday Monday, giving the company a market value of roughly C$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion).

Bisie, located about 180 kilometers northwest of Goma in North Kivu province, produced 5,030 tonnes of tin in the quarter ended September 30, in line with annual guidance of 20,000 tonnes. Operations there were not immune to disruption last year: citing security concerns, Alphamin suspended mining and processing at the site on March 13, 2025, before phasing work back in from April 15. Fourth-quarter logistics have typically been the toughest stretch of the year for the operation.