[SMM Rare Earth Bulletin] American Rare Earths announced that the first rare earth magnet production line at its Stillwater, Oklahoma facility had been put into operation, with commercial shipments to begin in April, and it was expected to reach full capacity of 600 mt per year by the end of December. The company said the plant's capacity would increase to 1,200 mt/year by 2027. In January this year, American Rare Earths signed a non-binding agreement with the US Department of Commerce for $1.6 billion in funding support to build a mine to supply raw material for magnet production.

American Rare Earths announced that it has been selected to supply raw material to the US Department of Energy (DOE)'s "Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility" (METALLIC) consortium. The Halleck Creek rare earth project in Wyoming, held by its subsidiary Wyoming Rare, is currently at an advanced exploration stage, with the Phase 1 Cowboy State mine having a 20-year mine life. The latest resource estimate shows that, at a cut-off grade of 1,000 ppm, total rare earth oxides amount to 547.5 million mt, while 18 channel samples collected in 2025 averaged a grade of 5,471 ppm, with the highest reaching 13,816 ppm. The project has an after-tax net present value of $558 million and an internal rate of return of approximately 24.

USAR has signed an agreement with PolarStar Magnetics, headquartered in Minnesota, to produce US-made NdFeB products for critical industries and everyday consumer goods. PolarStar Magnetics can manufacture magnetic material products that meet defense federal specifications for aerospace projects. Utilizing American Rare Earths' facilities, PolarStar Magnetics will participate in the early testing of magnets to advance its prototype development. The two companies are now moving towards a multi-year supply agreement. American Rare Earths established an innovation lab in Stillwater in Q1 2025 and expects to begin providing product prototypes to customers in Q2. The new sintered magnet plant in Stillwater will commence commercial production in H1 2026, with a capacity of 5,000 mt per year.

【SMM News: US Department of the Interior Approves Resumption of Production at the Corosumkin Rare Earth Mine】On April 8, the Department of the Interior issued a permit to Daybreak Resources to continue developing the Corosumkin rare earth project. The project had been long delayed due to its location within the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County. Australian mining company, American Rare Earths, stated that the DOI confirmed their development rights under the Mining Law and the California Desert Protection Act. The DOI's approval has paved the way for the development of the second rare earth mine in the US. Currently, there is only one operational rare earth mine in the US, namely the Mountain Pass Materials (MP Materials) rare earth mine of the same name, located just 10 kilometers away from this project.

American Rare Earths announced the launch of its advanced innovation laboratory in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The laboratory will provide customers with prototype permanent magnets, fully replicating the entire production process of magnets. The commissioning of this state-of-the-art facility marks a significant milestone in the construction of the largest sintered NdFeB magnet manufacturing base in the US. Before the official operation of the first production line in early 2026, the laboratory will accelerate the customer certification process and play a crucial role in R&D innovation, customer support, breakthroughs in independent intellectual property, quality control, and production process optimization.

【China Discovers a Super-Large-Scale Rare Earth Ore in Yunnan, with Over 470,000 mt of Key Rare Earth Elements Including Pr-Nd, Dysprosium, and Terbium】According to MiningWeekly, Australian Stock Exchange-listed company American Rare Earths (ARR) announced that its wholly-owned US subsidiary, Wyoming Rare (WRI), has been granted permission to conduct trial mining at the Halleck Creek rare earth mine.