U.S.-Based Energy Fuels Poised to Produce Six of the Seven Rare Earth Oxides Now Subject to Chinese Export Controls at Scale

Core Viewpoint - Energy Fuels has developed the technical capability to produce several rare earth oxides at scale, coinciding with President Trump's initiation of a Section 232 investigation into imports of processed critical minerals, which may enhance domestic production and supply chains [1][4]. Company Developments - Energy Fuels has successfully developed technology to produce six of the seven rare earth oxides affected by new Chinese export controls, leveraging its White Mesa Mill in Utah, which can process monazite ore concentrates into separated neodymium-praseodymium oxide [2][6]. - The company has commercial capacity to process up to 10,000 tonnes of monazite concentrate annually, producing up to 1,000 tonnes of NdPr oxide, with plans to increase capacity to 60,000 tonnes in the future [9][10]. - Energy Fuels has established a supply chain for monazite by acquiring three large-scale heavy mineral sands mines, ensuring a long-term supply of monazite concentrates for processing [8][11]. Industry Context - The U.S. government, under President Trump's Executive Order, is investigating the national security implications of importing processed critical minerals, which may lead to increased domestic production and support for companies like Energy Fuels [4][5]. - The company is positioned to address gaps identified in the Executive Order, having a history of producing uranium and vanadium oxides, and recently launching commercial rare earth processing capabilities [5][12]. - Energy Fuels focuses on monazite, which has a high-grade REE content and is produced as a low-cost byproduct of heavy mineral sands mining, providing a competitive advantage in the rare earth market [8][9].