US Market News
1月前
Tungsten Reshoring Goes Public: Western Star Files DIBC Application as APT Prices Surge ~900% YoY and the U.S. Defense Procurement Cliff Closes InMay 4, 2026 11:45 AM
PR Newswire (US)
Issued on behalf of Western Star Resources Inc.Companies Mentioned: Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF), IperionX Limited (NASDAQ: IPX), Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. (OTCQX: LYSDY), Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: IDR), Trilogy Metals Inc. (NYSE American: TMQ)Key Takeaways:Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) has submitted an application in response to a critical minerals solicitation from the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), focused on tungsten (WO3).The Company has entered into a 12-month investor relations agreement with Plutus Invest & Consulting GmbH (Germany) for a €200,000 fee, designed to build European market awareness commencing May 1, 2026.A non-brokered private placement of 833,333 flow-through common shares at $0.60 will raise gross proceeds of $500,000, with proceeds eligible for the Canadian critical mineral tax credit (CMETC).Rotterdam ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices are near US$3,185/MTU, up roughly 350% year-to-date and ~900% over 12 months, while a January 1, 2027 federal procurement rule will bar Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean tungsten from key U.S. defense applications.Western Star's flagship Rowland tungsten property in Jarbidge, Nevada is past-producing, with a maiden drill program planned for 2026; the Company has not yet established a current NI 43-101 mineral resource and historical production does not constitute a current resource estimate.VANCOUVER, BC, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Equity Insider News Commentary — The tungsten market has decisively repriced. Rotterdam APT — the benchmark intermediate — is changing hands near US$3,185 per metric tonne unit, up roughly 350% year-to-date and approximately 900% over the trailing 12 months. China still controls roughly 80% of global mine supply and dominates downstream processing, with Beijing limiting tungsten exports to just 15 approved firms through 2027. The U.S. has had no commercial tungsten mine production since 2015. And on January 1, 2027 — eight months from now — federal procurement rules will bar Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean tungsten from key U.S. defense applications. Mines, by contrast, take years to permit and build.
Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) announced it has submitted an application in response to a solicitation from the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC), a body managed by Advanced Technology International on behalf of the U.S. Department of War (DoW). The DIBC issued its critical minerals request for project proposal in February 2026, with the DoW prioritizing supply chain alternatives for defense-critical minerals used in aircraft, missiles, semiconductors, and other defense technologies. Western Star's submission focuses on tungsten (WO3).Blake Morgan, the CEO and President of Western Star, stated, "Western Star Resources is pleased to support DIBC initiatives focusing on strategic critical minerals. Our team will be traveling to Washington in May for meetings to discuss our past-producing tungsten asset. We believe this asset offers significant upside and look forward to demonstrating its potential as we approach our maiden drill program in 2026. Additionally, we will provide further updates shortly regarding the recently announced Rowland exploration program."The Company's flagship is the past-producing Rowland tungsten property in Jarbidge, Nevada — a U.S. asset with documented historical production that fits the geographic profile the DoW is now actively underwriting. Western Star also holds nine non-surveyed contiguous mineral claims totaling 4,740 hectares in the Revelstoke mining division of British Columbia, located approximately 50 kilometres southeast of Revelstoke and 10 kilometres north of the former community of Camborne.Alongside the DIBC submission, Western Star announced it has entered into a 12-month investor relations and marketing services agreement with Plutus Invest & Consulting GmbH of Bremen, Germany, dated April 28, 2026 and commencing May 1, 2026. The Plutus mandate covers consultation on advertorial marketing and public relations strategies and the design and implementation of an advertisement-based investor awareness campaign focused on the European investment market — including financial-news portals, investor newsletters, social-media platforms, paid digital advertising networks, and sponsored articles and video interviews. The Company has agreed to pay Plutus a fee of €200,000 payable on commencement of services, with the term ending April 30, 2027. The engagement is subject to certain conditions including submission of all required forms to the Canadian Securities Exchange.The Company also announced a non-brokered private placement of 833,333 flow-through common shares at $0.60 per FT Share for gross proceeds of $500,000. The gross proceeds will be used to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" (CEE) that are "flow-through mining expenditures" related to the Company's Western Star Project, with proceeds also expected to qualify for the critical mineral tax credit (CMETC). All FT Shares will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws. Completion of the Offering remains subject to approval by the CSE.Investors should note that Western Star is at an early stage. The Company has not yet established a current NI 43-101 mineral resource at Rowland, and historical production from the property does not constitute a current mineral resource estimate.CONTINUED… Read the full article and stay updated on Western Star's developments hereIn other news circulating across the U.S. critical minerals supply-chain reshoring trade:IperionX Limited (NASDAQ: IPX) (ASX: IPX) is a U.S. titanium metal and critical materials company using patented metal technologies to produce high-performance titanium alloys from titanium minerals or scrap titanium. The Company's Titan critical minerals project, the largest JORC-compliant mineral resource of titanium, rare earth, and zircon minerals in the United States, anchors its supply chain.IperionX has received Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) funding to scale up titanium production and advanced manufacturing capacity at its Titanium Manufacturing Campus in Virginia, where the Company has cited planning toward approximately 1,400 tpa of capacity. An EXIM loan is intended to finance manufacturing equipment for expanded U.S. titanium manufacturing capabilities.Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. (OTCQX: LYSDY) (ASX: LYC) — one of the largest rare earth producers outside China — has been advancing its Seadrift, Texas heavy rare earth processing facility under a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense that increased from approximately US$120 million in 2022 to approximately US$258 million in 2023.After CEO Amanda Lacaze cautioned in late 2025 that construction "might not proceed" without acceptable offtake terms, Lynas announced in March 2026 that it had reached a modified arrangement with the U.S. government, advancing toward potential supply of heavy rare earth materials. The Seadrift facility is designed to produce dysprosium and terbium — heavy rare earths critical to high-temperature magnets used in EV motors and defense applications — addressing one of the most concentrated chokepoints in the global supply chain.Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: IDR) is a U.S. gold producer and critical minerals/rare earth element exploration company headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Company describes itself as the largest rare earth elements landholder in the U.S., with over 20,000 acres of mineral claims in central Idaho and western Montana along the Idaho REE-Th Belt, including the Lemhi Pass project — recognized by the USGS and U.S. Department of Energy as the largest domestic source of thorium resources in the United States.IDR reported record 2025 results with revenue of $42.4 million (+64.6% YoY) and diluted EPS of $1.14. Operationally, the Company plans more than 30,000 metres of drilling in 2026 across the Golden Chest Mine, Little Baldy, Niagara, and other projects, with continued advancement of REE exploration at Lemhi Pass and Mineral Hill.Trilogy Metals Inc. (NYSE American: TMQ) (TSX: TMQ) announced on April 21, 2026 that Ambler Metals LLC — its 50/50 joint venture with South32 Limited — has commenced federal permitting for the Arctic Project in the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects of northwestern Alaska's Ambler Mining District, by submitting a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Arctic is among the highest-grade undeveloped open-pittable copper deposits in the world, with an estimated average grade of approximately 5% copper equivalent, supported by precious-metals byproduct credits. Ambler Metals has approved a US$35 million 2026 program covering 40–45 drill holes (~5,650 metres), with first quarter financial results showing US$47.8 million in cash on the Company's balance sheet, alongside U.S. federal strategic investment under active discussion.The pattern is consistent across the developer side of the U.S. critical minerals trade: the projects attracting attention in 2026 are the ones combining geographic positioning inside the West, exposure to a metal Washington has flagged as defense-critical, and visibility on near-term news flow. With a DIBC submission filed, a maiden drill program at a past-producing U.S. tungsten asset planned for 2026, an EU-focused investor awareness campaign launching, and a CMETC-eligible flow-through financing in motion, Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) is positioned to keep building news flow as the tungsten reshoring trade matures.CONTINUED… For more information about Western Star Resources Inc., visit hereCONTACT:
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info @acblanke1DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. equity-insider.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). MIQ has previously been paid a fee for Western Star Resources Inc. advertising and digital media from the company directly which has since expired. There may be 3rd parties who may have shares Western Star Resources Inc., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. Previous compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ do not own any shares of Western Star Resources Inc. but reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Western Star Resources Inc. at any time hereafter without any further notice. We also expect further compensation in the future as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material disseminated by MIQ has been approved by the above mentioned company; we own shares of the mentioned company that we will sell, and we also reserve the right to buy shares of the company in the open market, or through further private placements and/or investment vehicles. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2840019/5951224/Equity_Insider_Logo.jpg
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Original: Tungsten Reshoring Goes Public: Western Star Files DIBC Application as APT Prices Surge ~900% YoY and the U.S. Defense Procurement Cliff Closes In
US Market News
3月前
America Is Closing the Gap in the Rare Earth Supply Chain Race - OilPrice.com Market CommentaryMarch 13, 2026 10:50 AM
PR Newswire (US)
NEW YORK, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Access to rare earths has become a central challenge for advanced defense systems, high-performance manufacturing, and next-generation energy technologies. REalloys (ALOY) is already operating in the most strategic segment of that chain, converting heavy rare earth materials into high-performance magnets and alloys inside the United States. REalloys Inc. (ALOY), Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO), NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ: NB), FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), IperionX (NASDAQ: IPX).For Washington, the challenge is not geology — it's processing. Many Western companies are still in early exploration or planning stages. REalloys, by contrast, runs a functioning facility in Euclid, Ohio, where heavy rare earth feedstock is refined and transformed into specialized alloys required for defense and advanced industrial use. By keeping processing onshore, the company addresses the offshore refining bottleneck that has long left U.S. supply chains exposed to foreign supply disruptions.REalloys bridges the gap between separated oxides and the metal inputs required to produce high-performance magnets used across aerospace, defense, energy, and industrial applications, already supplying qualified materials under U.S. Department of Defense contracts as domestic sourcing rules tighten.Rare earth magnets sit at the end of this chain — the high-performance components that enable advanced aircraft systems, EV drivetrains, satellites, and critical industrial infrastructure. Many of the technologies built by major U.S. manufacturers depend on high-performance rare earth magnets that allow motors, cooling systems, and precision components to operate efficiently under demanding conditions.REalloys occupies the pivotal step just before that final assembly, converting separated oxides into the specialized metals and alloys magnet manufacturers depend on. As U.S. sourcing rules tighten, the company is already delivering qualified materials under Department of Defense contracts, positioning it as an operational link in America's domestic rare earth supply chain.What the DoD Needs, And Why It's UrgentThe U.S. military is actively partnering with REalloys for rare earth metals and alloys that feed into current operational programs. The company manufactures defense-specification metal and alloy domestically, built to the exact chemistry already embedded in active program supply chains. When procurement rules shift in 2027 and Chinese-origin material is disqualified, REalloys' output stays compliant with zero reformulation required. No other supplier in North America is currently producing the same grade of qualified heavy rare earth metals and alloys.Heavy rare earths are what enable advanced aerospace and industrial platforms to perform reliably under demanding conditions. Dysprosium and terbium are blended into magnet alloys specifically to maintain magnetic performance as temperatures climb and vibration intensifies — making them essential, not optional, inputs for high-performance applications.REalloys' Position in the Rare Earth Supply ChainCut through the noise, and the domestic rare earth picture narrows quickly. The vast majority of U.S.-based players remain stuck in the early stages — mining, oxide separation, pilot programs, and slide decks. REalloys sits at the opposite end of the value chain, occupying the downstream processing stage where supply chains are either real or they aren't.The company holds a signed commercial processing and long-term offtake deal with the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), anchored to the SRC Rare Earth Processing Facility in Saskatoon. That agreement gives REalloys (ALOY) access to 80% of the facility's upgraded annual output under a cost-plus pricing structure. Heavy rare earth production from the expanded facility is on track to come online in early 2027 — a milestone that would make REalloys the sole commercial-scale North American source of dysprosium and terbium oxides.To support that expansion, the company is investing roughly US$21 million to boost heavy rare earth processing throughput by approximately 300%, while also lifting light rare earth (NdPr) capacity by 50%. Target output includes up to 30 tonnes of dysprosium oxide, 15 tonnes of terbium oxide, and 400 tonnes per year of high-purity NdPr metal — with NdPr scaling to 600 tonnes annually once the expansion wraps up. Initial production is expected early next year.Building a Diversified Feedstock PipelineLetters of intent are already in place covering feedstock supply from Kazakhstan, Brazil, and Greenland.In Kazakhstan, REalloys has locked in a non-binding long-term offtake deal with AltynGroup covering rare earth feedstock that includes both light and heavy elements — dysprosium and terbium among them. Critically, that material flows straight into the company's U.S.-based metals and alloy production rather than being shipped offshore for processing.On the Brazilian side, a signed offtake memorandum with St George Mining provides potential access to as much as 40% of rare earth output from the Araxá project, pending finalization of definitive terms.And in Greenland, a 10-year offtake arrangement — currently at the LOI stage — would deliver up to 15% of annual rare earth concentrate production from the Tanbreez project.All of these supply streams ultimately point toward one customer: the U.S. Department of Defense.The Euclid, Ohio Processing HubREalloys' facility in Euclid, Ohio is built to take separated rare earth oxides and reduce them into metal under controlled atmospheric conditions, then alloy the resulting material into compositions suitable for magnet production. The same metallurgical workflow handles both light and heavy rare earths, including dysprosium and terbium. What comes out the other end is pre-alloyed metal — chemistry locked in early in the process and maintained within the narrow tolerances that qualified magnet producers require. Functionally, Euclid occupies the critical space between oxide separation and finished magnet assembly, the exact point where rare earth materials transition from intermediates into production-ready inputs.The finished product moves through standard commercial channels and feeds directly into magnets and components destined for DoD programs.Rebuilding a Lost Capability Under PressureFor the first time in a generation, the United States is attempting to reconstruct its rare earth processing infrastructure — a critical undertaking as tightening export policies from China create new pressure on domestic supply chains across both industrial and defense sectors.The core problem is deceptively simple: outside of China, virtually no one can convert rare earth oxides into finished metal at industrial scale. That conversion step is precisely where Western supply chains went dark decades ago.That bottleneck extends beyond defense programs. It also affects supply chains supporting a broad range of technology and industrial sectors that rely on high-performance rare earth magnets for electric vehicles, energy systems, and advanced computing infrastructure.The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has flagged rare earth metallization and alloying as the weakest and hardest-to-restore link in any non-Chinese supply chain. In CSIS's assessment, metal and alloy production represents an experience-based bottleneck — a capability that resists shortcuts, even when capital is abundant. Metallization expertise is accumulated through sustained operational history, not assembled on a timeline. Reaching consistent, magnet-grade quality can take years, sometimes decades. You can fast-track a mine. You cannot fast-track metallization.This is exactly where REalloys (ALOY) operates. While the rest of the Western rare earth sector largely tops out at oxide production or pilot-stage separation, the Euclid facility is running the conversion process that CSIS singles out as the most difficult to replicate. Oxides go in, metal comes out, alloys are formulated, and chemistry stays within specs that downstream buyers have already qualified. This isn't a future capability — it's an active one, running inside a U.S. facility and feeding usable material into defense and magnet supply chains today.Other companies to watch as the rare earth race heats up:Albemarle Corporation (ALB) remains the largest publicly traded lithium producer globally, with a geographically diversified asset base spanning Australian hard-rock spodumene operations, Chilean brine production in the Salar de Atacama, and the Silver Peak facility in Nevada , currently the only active U.S. lithium brine operation.Following the lithium price correction that extended through 2024–2025, Albemarle has shifted decisively toward capital discipline. The company has slowed portions of its expansion pipeline, reduced operating costs, and prioritized high-margin conversion capacity rather than pure volume growth.Rio Tinto Group (RIO) is broadening its portfolio beyond its historic reliance on iron ore by expanding into lithium and copper. The acquisition of Arcadium Lithium materially increased Rio's exposure to battery raw materials and diversified risk away from the politically complex Jadar project in Serbia.At the same time, the underground ramp-up at Oyu Tolgoi in Mongolia is progressing toward steady-state production, with the asset expected to become one of the largest new sources of copper globally. In North America, Rio continues development work on Resolution Copper alongside BHP, though permitting timelines remain a key variable.NioCorp Developments (NB) is the primary developer of the Elk Creek Project in southeast Nebraska, which is poised to become the most significant domestic source of Niobium, Scandium, and Titanium in North America. Following the launch of the White House and EXIM Bank's "Project Vault" initiative in February 2026, a strategic effort to build a U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve, NioCorp has moved into the national spotlight as a foundational security asset.Operationally, the company has transitioned from exploration to active development, with its Board of Directors approving the official start of the Mine Portal Project in early 2026. This $44.6 million initiative marks the beginning of physical construction at the site, supported by recent drill results that confirmed high-grade mineralization.FMC Corporation (FMC) has undergone a profound structural shift, evolving from a diversified industrial conglomerate with deep roots in defense and lithium into a focused agricultural sciences powerhouse. Historically, FMC was a major defense contractor, famously developing the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle; however, the company divested its defense systems and gold mining interests in the late 1990s to prioritize its high-margin chemical and crop protection segments.In more recent years, FMC's "energy transition" narrative centered on its lithium business, which was vital for the high-performance batteries used in modern military hardware and electric vehicles. This exposure ended in 2018 with the full spin-off of Livent (now part of RIO), effectively removing FMC's direct ties to the critical mineral supply chain.IperionX (IPX) is disrupting the global titanium industry by re-shoring production to the United States using its patented HAMR™ and HSPT technologies. Unlike the traditional, high-cost "Kroll process" utilized in China and Russia, IperionX's method allows for the production of low-carbon, high-performance titanium components using 100% recycled titanium scrap as feedstock. By early 2026, the company has scaled its Titanium Manufacturing Campus in Virginia to a production capacity of 1,400 metric tonnes per year, achieving a significant "EBITDA inflection point" as it begins fulfilling commercial orders for aerospace and defense giants.The company has solidified its status as a critical defense partner, recently securing a prototype purchase order from American Rheinmetall to produce lightweight titanium components for U.S. Army heavy ground combat systems.By. Josh OwensOilprice Intelligence brings you the inside view on where the next gains will come from, breaking down the market's biggest growth driver with analysis from veteran oilmen and experts. Click here to get this crucial intel for freeImportant Disclosure: The owner of Oilprice.com owns shares and/or stock options of the company and therefore has an incentive to see the company's stock perform well. We encourage you to conduct your own due diligence and seek the advice of your financial advisor or broker before investing.FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
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Original: America Is Closing the Gap in the Rare Earth Supply Chain Race - OilPrice.com Market Commentary