USA Rare Earth Accelerates Timeline for Round Top Deposit Commercial Production by Two Years
Rhea-AI Summary
USA Rare Earth (Nasdaq: USAR) said it is accelerating commercial production at its Round Top heavy rare earth deposit to late 2028, two years earlier than previously planned. The company expects to operate a Hydromet demonstration facility in Colorado early in 2026 with five continuous solvent-extraction circuits running 2,000–4,000 hours to produce operational data for commercial plant design. USAR aims to complete a definitive feasibility study (DFS) by early 2027. The plan targets heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium, plus hafnium and zirconium, and cites expected savings of tens of millions of dollars from a parallel-process approach.
The company also highlights a 310,000 sq ft magnet facility in Stillwater and a processing lab in Wheat Ridge as parts of its integrated mine-to-magnet value chain.
Positive
- Commercial production accelerated to late 2028 (2 years earlier)
- Hydromet demo planned early 2026 with five continuous SX circuits
- Targeting key heavy rare earths Dy and Tb essential for high-performance magnets
- Aiming to complete DFS by early 2027
- Expected cost savings of tens of millions of dollars from parallel-process approach
Negative
- Commercial timeline depends on successful Hydromet demo and SX piloting
- DFS and plant design milestones remain preliminary until full-scale validation
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
USAR gained 2.28% pre-news. Peers showed mixed moves: IPX +2.13%, VZLA +2.77%, ALM +3.65%, while GSM -0.67% and CMP -9.97%. This points to company-specific strength rather than a uniform sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 04 | Supply partnership | Positive | +24.9% | LCM supply deal to secure ex-China rare earth materials for magnets. |
| Nov 26 | Index inclusion | Positive | +2.7% | Preliminary addition to the Russell 2000 and related indexes. |
| Nov 20 | Supply agreement | Positive | -14.7% | Strategic Samarium supply agreement supporting European magnet demand. |
| Nov 18 | Acquisition close | Positive | +5.6% | Closing acquisition of LCM, adding rare earth metal and alloy capacity. |
| Nov 12 | Regulatory approval | Positive | -4.8% | UK approval for LCM acquisition, advancing end-to-end supply chain plans. |
Recent news has often been followed by sharp moves, with mostly positive reactions to strategic and index-related updates but occasional negative reversals on otherwise constructive partnership and acquisition headlines.
Over the past month, USAR has reported multiple strategic milestones, including UK approval and closing of the Less Common Metals acquisition, new supply agreements, and preliminary inclusion in the Russell 2000®. Price reactions ranged from -14.69% to +24.95%, showing that even positive strategic news can trigger both rallies and pullbacks. Today’s acceleration of Round Top’s commercialization timeline adds another step in building an integrated rare earth value chain, following LCM-related deals and index inclusion.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement accelerates USA Rare Earth’s Round Top project, targeting commercial production by late 2028 and a definitive feasibility study by early 2027. The plan hinges on a Hydromet demonstration facility in Colorado operating five SX circuits for 2,000–4,000 hours to de-risk full-scale design. In the past months, the company expanded its integrated mine-to-magnet platform via the LCM acquisition and new supply agreements. Investors may track execution on the Hydromet facility, DFS timing, and progress at the 310,000 sq ft Stillwater magnet plant.
Key Terms
rare earth elements technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
STILLWATER, Okla., Dec. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR) (USAR or the Company) today announced a significant acceleration of the commercialization timeline for its Round Top heavy rare earth deposit in Texas. The Company now plans to begin commercial production in late 2028, two years earlier than previously anticipated. Round Top is the United States’ richest known deposit of heavy rare earth elements, gallium, and beryllium, and is a cornerstone of USAR’s integrated mine-to-magnet value chain. That value chain also includes a 310,000 sq ft. magnet manufacturing facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which is expected to be the largest metal-and-alloy-making and strip-casting capability outside of China, and a processing and separation laboratory in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
“We’re challenging ourselves to innovate and pursue creative solutions that accelerate our timeline for securing, reshoring, and growing the U.S. rare earth value chain,” said Barbara Humpton, Chief Executive Officer of USA Rare Earth. “Beginning commercial production at Round Top two years earlier than anticipated would be an exciting milestone made possible by the team’s technical capabilities, process knowledge, and ingenuity. As global demand for rare earth magnets continues to rise and geopolitical risks escalate, accelerating domestic production is essential for securing the long-term competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.”
USAR has accelerated the planned commercialization timeline for Round Top because it expects to begin operating its Hydromet demonstration facility in Colorado early in 2026, based on the promising results of its recent and ongoing SX piloting. The Hydromet facility will operate five solvent-extraction (SX) circuits continuously, for 2,000 to 4,000 hours, to generate the operational data required to proceed with commercial plant design. These circuits will target heavy rare earth elements, particularly dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), which are essential for high-performance permanent magnets, while also extracting additional critical minerals including hafnium and zirconium.
This novel parallel-process approach is expected to save the Company tens of millions of dollars, while enabling USAR to complete its definitive feasibility study (DFS) by early 2027. Earlier completion of the DFS would allow USAR to move into commercial production at Round Top by late 2028.
Accelerating these milestones allows USAR to extract value from the Round Top deposit sooner and underscores its disciplined execution, technical leadership, and commitment to building a resilient, fully integrated U.S. rare earth supply chain.
About USA Rare Earth
USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR) is developing a rare earth sintered neo magnet (NdFeB or neo) manufacturing plant in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and intends to establish domestic rare earth and critical minerals supply, extraction, and processing capabilities to both supply its magnet manufacturing plant and market surplus materials to third parties. Rare earth magnets are critical to various business sectors and industries, including the defense, automotive, aviation, industrial, AI Robotics, medical, and consumer electronics industries, among others. USAR is planning to take a broad approach to the industries it serves with the intention of providing high quality neo magnets to a variety of industries and customers. USAR's focus on developing domestic rare earth production aligns with national priorities, offering the potential of a sustainable and secure domestic supply of materials critical to key industries.
Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements 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 expectations for i) development of the Round Top project, including timing of key milestone and associated costs; ii) development of the magnet production facility, the timing of expected production milestones and associated costs; iii) access to and ability to process raw materials for magnet production, including through swarf processing and development of the Round Top project; iv) operations of the Hydromet demonstration facility, including successful generation of the data required to proceed with commercial plant design at Round Top; and v) the Company’s business strategies and financial performance. 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 our expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to: 1) the Company’s development of its magnet production facility and the timing of expected production milestones; 2) the development of the Round Top project, including operations at Hyrdomet demonstration facility, which may not result into a producing mine, may be delayed, or may not result in the commercial extraction of minerals; 3) uncertainty in any mineral estimates, uncertainty in any geological, metallurgical, and geotechnical studies and opinions; 4) the Company’s ability to successfully commence swarf processing; 5) failure to integrate Less Common Metals (“LCM”) successfully, costs or difficulties associated with that integration, or failure to realize the expected benefits of the LCM acquisition when anticipated or at all; 6) competition in the magnet manufacturing industry; ability to grow and manage growth profitably; 7) the Company’s ability to build or maintain relationships with customers and suppliers; 8) the Company’s ability to attract and retain management and key employees; 9) supply and demand for rare earth minerals; 10) timing and amount of future production; 11) costs of production, capital expenditures and requirements for additional capital, including the need to raise additional capital to implement the Company’s strategic plan; 12) substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for the twelve months following the issuance of its third quarter 2025 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements; 13) reductions in the Company’s stock price which may, among other things, reduce the number of warrants that are exercised prior to their redemption and therefore reduce the cash proceeds received by the Company; 14) timing of future cash flow provided by operating activities, if any; and 15) fluctuations in transportation costs or disruptions in transportation services or damage or loss during transport. Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially has been and will be included in the Company’s periodic filings with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K that the Company filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025 and the Company’s latest 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.
Investor Relations Contact:
Lionel McBee
VP, Investor Relations
IR@usare.com
Media Relations Contacts:
Tucker Elcock
Teneo
Tucker.Elcock@teneo.com
FAQ
What timeline did USA Rare Earth (USAR) announce for Round Top commercial production?
When will USA Rare Earth operate the Hydromet demonstration facility for USAR Round Top processing?
How does the Hydromet demo affect USAR's project schedule and DFS timing?
Which rare earth elements will USAR target at Round Top (USAR)?
What facility does USA Rare Earth have for magnet production tied to Round Top (USAR)?
What cost impact did USA Rare Earth (USAR) claim from its process approach?
