HCM CITY — Masan High-Tech Materials (UpCOM: MSR), a Masan Group subsidiary and operator of the Núi Pháo polymetallic mine project in Thái Nguyên Province, is helping position Việt Nam as a rising force in high-tech materials.

By integrating mining, processing and advanced manufacturing into a single ecosystem, the company is creating a sustainable and competitive supply chain that supports next-generation technologies and strengthens Việt Nam’s role in the global critical minerals landscape.

G20 leaders endorse strategic minerals framework

At the third session of the G20 Summit in South Africa, held under the theme A Fair and Just Future for All, world leaders discussed long-term global challenges including critical minerals, sustainable employment and artificial intelligence.

Recent supply disruptions have highlighted vulnerabilities in global mineral chains. Shortages in processing capacity are affecting advanced manufacturing while the accelerating energy transition is driving unprecedented demand for key minerals.

With production concentrated in a few countries, minerals critical for technology, defence and clean energy face growing risks of scarcity and disruption.

According to Business Standard, G20 leaders adopted a Strategic Minerals Framework aimed at promoting international cooperation and ensuring critical mineral value chains develop sustainably, transparently and stably.

The framework emphasises inclusive industrialisation, particularly for developing nations that have historically benefited little from their mineral wealth due to limited investment and technology.

From 2025 to 2027, efforts will focus on reducing dependence on single-source suppliers by diversifying mining origins, processing facilities, logistics routes and end markets.

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

Việt Nam's growing role in global minerals

Việt Nam is emerging as a vital player in meeting global critical mineral demand.

According to the US Geological Survey, the country ranks sixth worldwide in rare-earth reserves, at about 3.5 million tonnes, and is among the top ten for overall mineral resources, providing a strong foundation for supply diversification and global resource security.

Tungsten stands out as the country’s strategic mineral.

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

The Núi Pháo polymetallic mine, 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.

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

It is considered one of the most complex polymetallic ore bodies worldwide, producing four to five mineral streams from a single site.

While most mines focus on one or two commodities, Núi Pháo delivers tungsten, fluorspar, bismuth and copper simultaneously, three of which are classified as strategic minerals.

This diversity has attracted strong interest from Western manufacturers.

Over the past year, Vietnamese tungsten accounted for roughly 22 per cent of US imports and 8 per cent of Europe’s supply.

As global demand for high-tech materials grows and supply chains tighten, Việt Nam, powered by projects like Núi Pháo, is poised for a breakthrough, establishing itself as a reliable alternative supplier and cementing its place on the world map of critical minerals.