On 18 November 2025, H.E. Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, led a high-level delegation of ministry officials and senior executives from leading German enterprises to visit Masan High-Tech Materials (MHT) – the operator of the Nui Phao mine in Thai Nguyen, a member of Masan Group.
“I have been looking forward to seeing firsthand Nui Phao mine – one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits outside China,” said State Secretary Rouenhoff. He underscored tungsten’s status as a critical strategic mineral for Germany, serving as a core input for the defense industry as well as multiple high-tech manufacturing sectors. He noted that one of the key priorities of his Vietnam mission was to explore opportunities to diversify supply sources and enhance supply chain security for strategic raw materials.
Prior to the visit, State Secretary Rouenhoff and Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, co-chaired the 3rd Meeting of the Vietnam–Germany Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation. The session reviewed progress in bilateral collaboration, addressed existing challenges, and identified priority areas for the next phase, including energy transition, emissions reduction toward carbon neutrality, and energy security.
Welcoming the delegation, Ashley McAleese, CEO of Masan High-Tech Materials, highlighted that MHT owns the world’s largest primary tungsten deposit outside China, ranks among the top three global fluorspar producers, and is one of the few suppliers of primary bismuth worldwide. He provided an overview of the company’s mining and advanced processing capabilities, its strategy to develop high-tech materials, and its plans to expand international cooperation. Mr. McAleese later accompanied the delegation on a tour of the Nui Phao mine and MHT’s tungsten processing facilities.
The German delegation expressed strong appreciation for MHT’s modern, integrated mining and processing operations, from ore extraction to advanced tungsten refining, and for its predominantly Vietnamese team of highly skilled engineers and managers. The delegation also acknowledged MHT’s commitment to technological innovation and sustainable mining practices.
Germany is Vietnam’s second-largest European trading partner, with exports approaching US$8 billion and accounting for more than 17% of Vietnam’s exports to the EU. The visit provided German officials and business representatives with deeper insight into MHT’s technological capabilities and its leading position in global high-tech tungsten processing.
Concluding the visit, State Secretary Rouenhoff reaffirmed Germany’s intention to deepen economic and industrial cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in energy and in fostering partnerships between businesses of both countries. He also emphasized the potential for strengthened collaboration with MHT in critical minerals and strategic materials – sectors in which the company plays a pioneering role in Vietnam.
