Japan trading house backs Vietnam tungsten miner that has drawn US investment

Materials Japan trading house backs Vietnam tungsten miner that has drawn US investment Sojitz's stake in Masan unit aims to cut reliance on China for metal used in machine tools, chips Masan High-Tech Materials mines and refines tungsten at a site in northern Vietnam. (Photo by Yuji Nitta) KEIICHI FURUKAWA and YUJI NITTA November 10, 2026 03:10 JST TOKYO/HANOI -- Japanese trading house Sojitz will take a 5% stake in Vietnamese tungsten miner Masan High-Tech Materials, diversifying its supply of a critical metal for which China controls roughly 80% of global production. Read Next International relations Japan and Vietnam sign energy deals as Hanoi's power needs surge Supply Chain China's curbs on tungsten used in drill bits squeeze AI supply chain Materials Japan's Sumitomo Electric offers more low-tungsten tools to cut China reliance Supply Chain Japan's Mitsubishi Materials taps Vietnam for tungsten as China alternative Business deals US tungsten supplier Elmet to buy stake in Vietnamese miner Masan Supply Chain Australian tungsten miner joins US efforts to rebuild supply chain Latest on Materials Materials Threat of trade curbs pushes Japan steel exports to three-decade low Materials U.S. Steel grows to 40% of Nippon Steel profit as prices surge Materials Australia gold miner Northern Star lifts output amid investor pressure Sponsored Content About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.