USA Rare Earth Completes First Commercial Yttrium Metal Production

Published: 2026-04-15 07:01:04 ET USAR

Published on 04/15/2026 at 07:01 am EDT

Subsidiary Less Common Metals Joins Select Group of Non-Chinese Producers of Commercial-Grade Yttrium Metal

Yttrium Plays Critical Role in Aerospace, Defense, and High-Temperature Industrial Applications

STILLWATER, Okla., April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR) (the "Company"), an emerging global leader in rare earth materials and technology, today announced the first commercial pour of 2N–2N5 (99%–99.5% purity) yttrium metal through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Less Common Metals Ltd. ("LCM"), at its facility in Cheshire, United Kingdom. This milestone places the Company among a limited number of producers of commercial-grade yttrium metal operating outside of China.

“Producing commercial-grade yttrium metal at LCM marks a significant step in strengthening our position as a global leader in rare earth materials and technology,” said Barbara Humpton, Chief Executive Officer of USA Rare Earth. “Combined with our planned yttrium extraction at Round Top and our oxide processing capabilities, this positions USA Rare Earth to serve the aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing customers who can no longer rely solely on Chinese supply."

Yttrium plays a vital role in a range of high-performance applications where consistency, reliability and performance under extreme conditions are required. It is a key material in thermal barrier coatings used on turbine blades and other high-temperature aerospace components, where it enhances oxidation resistance and improves adhesion, helping extend component life under intense thermal and mechanical stress. Yttrium is also used in electronics, energy systems, lasers, superconductors, and advanced ceramics, where its chemical stability and high-temperature performance are essential.

The Company’s yttrium production capability is built around controlled refining and purification processes designed to deliver consistent, high-purity material suitable for integration into industrial applications. By maintaining tight quality controls and repeatable production standards, USA Rare Earth ensures its yttrium metal meets customer specifications and performs reliably in service.

This milestone builds on the Company's recent progress, including the successful commissioning of its first commercial magnet production line (Phase 1a) at its facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and further advances its vision to build a globally integrated rare earth value chain across the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. Yttrium production further supports the Company's strategy to operate across the full value chain, from mining, processing, and separation to metal-making, alloy production, and magnet manufacturing -- supporting industries critical to national security, technological innovation, as well as advanced manufacturers that require a reliable source of critical mineral materials outside of China. USA Rare Earth’s platform combines the strategic advantages of integration with the commercial flexibility for each link to serve third-party customers and operate with standalone economics.

About USA Rare Earth

USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR) is building a fully integrated rare earth and permanent magnet supply chain across the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. Through its ownership of Less Common Metals Ltd. (LCM) and development of magnet manufacturing capacity in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA Rare Earth operates across the entire value chain—from heavy rare earth processing to metal-making, alloy production, and neodymium magnet manufacturing. By combining domestic feedstock from the Round Top deposit with advanced processing technologies, recycling capabilities, and an expanding European footprint, USA Rare Earth is establishing a secure, sustainable, Western-aligned supply of materials essential to defense, electrification, robotics, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release are or contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, include statements relating to the Company’s business and investment plans and the Company’s role in establishing a rare earth and magnet value chain. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “can”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “intend”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “seek”, “should”, “strive”, “target”, “will”, “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following:

Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially has been and will be included in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K most recently filed with the SEC and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of their date, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events or developments.

USAR Investor Contact:J.B. Lowe, CFAVP, Head of Investor [email protected]

USAR Media Relations Contact:Collected Strategies [email protected]