New York- and London-listed Guardian Metal has signed a Tungsten Origin Verification Collaboration Agreement with forensic origin verification organisation Oritain Global, to facilitate development of a databse of origin fingerprints for tungsten, which will support the development of provenance verification for tungsten for governments, industry and end-users.

For Guardian the agreement marks a step toward more transparent American tungsten supply chains, supporting US efforts to secure domestic sourcing of critical materials.

Guardian is developing the Tempiute and Pilot Mountain projects, in Nevada.

The development of this database is particularly timely since come January 1, 2027, US defence procurement restrictions under Section 854 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are expected to drive tighter traceability requirements across the tungsten supply chain.

These requirements are further reinforced by Executive Order 14415, signed on July 20, which restricts the availability of sourcing waivers for covered-country materials and directs comprehensive supply chain mapping and traceability requirements across US defence procurement, making verified provenance of US-origin tungsten a legal and commercial necessity.

With two tungsten projects being advanced in the US, Guardian is uniquely positioned to work with Oritain in establishing this inaugural database, which will also provide the company with a significant strategic advantage.

Guardian will deliver tungsten material from both Pilot Mountain and Tempiute to Oritain as initial samples to support the development of a US tungsten origin database.

Oritain CEO Alyn Franklin comments that forensic origin verification is fast becoming a necessary ingredient for durable critical minerals supply chains.

"As US policy increasingly demands verifiable, traceable sourcing, our partnership with Guardian seeks to put scientific evidence behind that assurance. We're committed to being the source of truth in global supply chains, and we're proud to extend that commitment to the tungsten industry."

Guardian CEO Oliver Friesen adds that as the US intensifies its focus on developing domestic supply chains for tungsten, a critical defence material, the ability to scientifically verify the origin of tungsten is becoming an increasingly important differentiator for Guardian and its Nevada-based projects.

“This agreement with Oritain is a meaningful step in building a fully transparent and verifiable tungsten supply chain entirely on US soil and further demonstrates our commitment to supporting national efforts to reshore critical mineral supply chains," Friesen concludes.