The MMTA Conference 2026 takes place 21–23 April in Vancouver, Canada, bringing together more than 300 minor metals traders, producers, and procurement professionals at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Organised by Metal Events Ltd, the event marks the Minor Metals Trade Association’s annual gathering of its 130+ member companies from 25+ countries — the closest the sector comes to a single room.
About the MMTA
The Minor Metals Trade Association (MMTA) is the world’s largest trade body for minor metals, ferroalloys, and rare earths. Founded in 1973, its membership spans producers, traders, processors, and end-users with a collective annual worth exceeding USD 10 billion. The association publishes The Crucible magazine for members and runs the annual conference as its primary in-person forum for price discovery, commercial networking, and industry debate.
The MMTA covers metals that rarely appear in mainstream commodity markets but underpin modern technology supply chains — gallium and germanium for semiconductors and defence optics, indium for flat panel displays and photovoltaics, terbium and dysprosium for permanent magnets, and a range of refractory metals for aerospace and energy applications.
MMTA Conference 2026 Programme Highlights
The main conference day falls on Wednesday 22 April. Stephen Hall, Chair of the MMTA and Managing Director of Advanced Alloy Services Ltd, opens proceedings with a welcome address before the programme divides into three sessions.
Session 1 — Trade, Tariffs & Minor Metals in a Changing World Order features Thomas Feldmann of TSX-listed 5N Plus (Canada) followed by Jan Giese, Senior Manager Minor Metals & REE Sales at Tradium GmbH, presenting on geopolitical pressure on minor metals supply chains.
Session 2 — Minor Metals at a Crossroads places a Chinese producer and a US buyer on successive presentations. Mandy Yin, Product Director at Zhuzhou Keneng New Material Co., addresses current market conditions for high-purity indium and gallium — metals subject to Chinese export controls since mid-2023. Theo D. Ruas of the Indium Corporation (USA) presents the buyer perspective. Grace Asimov, Market Editor at Fastmarkets, closes the session with analysis of shifting dynamics in antimony.
Session 3 runs as a panel discussion: “How are minor metals defining a new world order? Trade, Technology and Defence.” Panellists include David S. Abraham (Affiliate Professor, Boise State University) and Ian Margerison (Executive Marketing Manager, TIC Belgium). The session runs 14:30–15:30.
Thursday 23 April adds presentations from Dr Jinghui Wu, CEO of Ningbo Chuangrun New Materials, on high-purity titanium, cobalt, niobium, and tantalum; Will Parry-Jones of Wolfram Advisory on tungsten supply constraints; and Argus Metals on critical materials in the automotive sector.
Key Themes: Trade, Tariffs and the New Metals Order
The 2026 conference theme — “How minor metals are defining a new world order” — is not abstract. China’s export controls on gallium and germanium, introduced in stages from August 2023, are the live market backdrop to every session on the programme. Gallium prices reached $272/kg in April 2026, up 10.6% month-on-month. Germanium crossed $2,049/kg, up 5.1% over the same period.
Those price moves are inseparable from the licensing and quota system China introduced to manage exports of both metals. The MMTA conference offers the first major in-person forum of 2026 for buyers, sellers, and policy-watchers to trade views on where controls go next. Indium — the third metal subject to potential expansion of China’s critical minerals export regime — also features directly in the Session 2 agenda.
For a broader view of which minerals face the highest export control risk, see our ranking of the top 10 critical minerals at risk from China export controls.
Who Attends the MMTA Conference
The MMTA membership profile covers the full supply chain: mining companies, chemical processors, specialist traders, end-users in aerospace and defence, and institutional investors tracking critical minerals exposure. The Lisbon 2025 conference exceeded 300 attendees; Vancouver 2026 is expected to match or surpass that figure.
Delegates are predominantly European and North American, with a significant Chinese producer contingent. For procurement professionals, the conference represents one of the few annual opportunities to meet Chinese minor metals suppliers and Western buyers in the same room — a dynamic made more pointed by the ongoing export control environment. Registration is £1,300 for MMTA members; non-member rates are higher. Details are available at mmta.co.uk.
2026 Sponsors and Commercial Context
Conference sponsors provide a reliable read of where marketing budgets are concentrated in the sector. ICD Group anchors the programme at both ends — Golf Tournament on Monday and Gala Dinner on Wednesday evening. Advanced Alloy Services Ltd, whose MD Stephen Hall chairs the MMTA, sponsors the Pre-Dinner Drinks. Donald McArthy Alloy Processors co-sponsors the Gala Dinner. Titan International (NYSE: TWI) takes the Luncheon; Exotech sponsors the Barista Coffee Breaks; CCMA LLC hosts the Welcome Reception.
The sponsor list reflects the superalloy revert, refractory metals, and specialty trading segments that represent the commercial core of MMTA membership — distinct from the rare earth mining and processing companies that dominate the public narrative around critical minerals.
For the full 2026 events calendar, including Critical Minerals North America (New York, 23–24 April) and AusIMM Critical Minerals Conference (Brisbane, 21–22 April), see our rare earth mining events guide.
What is the MMTA conference?
The MMTA conference is the annual gathering of the Minor Metals Trade Association, the world’s largest trade body for minor metals, ferroalloys, and rare earths. It brings together producers, traders, processors, and end-users from more than 25 countries for presentations, panels, and commercial networking.
When and where is the MMTA conference 2026?
The MMTA Conference 2026 takes place 21–23 April 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver, Canada. The main conference day is Wednesday 22 April, with pre-conference social events on Monday 20 April and additional sessions on Thursday 23 April.
Who speaks at the MMTA minor metals conference?
The 2026 speaker programme includes representatives from 5N Plus, Tradium GmbH, the Indium Corporation, Zhuzhou Keneng New Material, Fastmarkets, Wolfram Advisory, Argus Metals, and Ningbo Chuangrun New Materials. The conference chair is Stephen Hall, MD of Advanced Alloy Services Ltd.
What metals are covered at the MMTA conference?
The MMTA conference covers the full range of minor metals and ferroalloys including gallium, germanium, indium, antimony, tungsten, cobalt, niobium, tantalum, titanium, and rare earth elements. The 2026 programme has a particular focus on metals subject to China’s export control regime.
How do I register for the MMTA conference 2026?
Registration for the MMTA Conference 2026 is £1,300 for MMTA members; non-member rates are higher. Full registration details are available at mmta.co.uk.
