Masan High-Tech Materials positions Vietnam as rising force in critical minerals

By combining mining, processing, and advanced manufacturing within a single integrated ecosystem, the company is creating a sustainable, competitive supply chain that supports next-generation technologies and bolsters Vietnam’s role in the global critical minerals landscape.

G20 leaders endorse strategic minerals framework

Recent supply disruptions have exposed serious vulnerabilities in global mineral chains. 

Processing capacity shortages are rippling through advanced manufacturing, while the accelerating energy transition is driving unprecedented demand for key minerals. 

With supplies concentrated in just a few countries, minerals essential for technology, defense, and clean energy now face heightened risks of scarcity and disruption.

As reported by Business Standard, G20 leaders adopted a new Strategic Minerals Framework to promote international cooperation and ensure critical mineral value chains develop in a sustainable, transparent, and stable way. 

The framework aims to foster inclusive industrialization, especially in developing nations that have historically gained little from their mineral wealth due to limited investment and technology.

From 2025 to 2027, a core focus will be reducing reliance on single-source suppliers by diversifying mining origins, processing locations, logistics routes, and end markets. 

Leaders also stressed the importance of in-country processing that meets national economic, environmental, and social standards -- a cornerstone of long-term supply-chain resilience.

Vietnam’s growing role in global minerals ecosystem

Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a vital player in meeting global critical minerals demand. 

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the country ranks sixth worldwide in rare-earth reserves (approximately 3.5 million tonnes) and sits among the top ten for overall mineral resources, a strong foundation for supply diversification and enhanced global resource security.

Tungsten is Vietnam’s standout strategic asset. 

Designated by the G20 as an essential mineral, tungsten is critical for semiconductors, energy technologies, electronics, aerospace, and ultra-hard materials. 

The Nui Phao polymetallic mine in Thai Nguyen Province, operated by Masan High-Tech Materials, is one of the world’s largest tungsten operations outside China and the fifth-largest producer of fluorspar globally, according to USGS.

The deposit also yields bismuth and copper, both vital for future-facing industries.

Nui Phao is regarded as one of the most complex polymetallic ore bodies on the planet, producing four to five mineral streams from a single site. 

While most mines extract just one or two commodities, Nui Phao simultaneously delivers tungsten, fluorspar, bismuth, and copper -- three of which are classified as strategic minerals. 

This unique diversity has attracted strong interest from Western manufacturers. 

In the past year, Vietnamese tungsten accounted for roughly 22 percent of U.S. imports and eight percent of Europe’s supply.

As demand for high-tech materials surges and global supplies tighten, Vietnam, powered by projects like Nui Phao, is poised for a major breakthrough, establishing itself as a dependable alternative supplier and cementing its place on the global critical minerals map.