Name of the Project

Cherokee County rare earth metal and magnet manufacturing operation.

Location

Bailey Industrial Park, Blacksburg, Cherokee County, South Carolina, US.

Project Owner/s

US mining and manufacturing company USA Rare Earth.

Project Description

The project involves the development of a new rare earth metal and magnet manufacturing operation that will produce sintered neodymium/iron/boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets and the refined rare-earth metals from which they are made. It is expected to produce 6 400 t/y of NdFeB rare earth magnets and 5 000 t/y of strip-cast, metal and alloy, and complement USA Rare Earth’s existing magnet manufacturing facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which commissioned its first commercial production line in March 2026. The Stillwater and Blacksburg operations will form the centrepiece of USA Rare Earth’s integrated mine-to-magnet value chain. 

The company expects its total domestic production capacity to reach 10 000 t/y of NdFeB rare earth magnets and 10 000 t/y of heavy rare earth strip-cast, metal and alloy once the Blacksburg facility and planned Stillwater expansion are established.

Potential Job Creation

The project is expected to create about 490 high-skill, high-wage manufacturing jobs.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return

Not stated.

Capital Expenditure

Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date

Site work is expected to start in the coming months, with commissioning targeted to start in 2028.

Latest Developments

Engineering work and equipment procurement for the Blacksburg facility are under way. USA Rare Earth announced definitive agreements with the US Department of Commerce on June 3, 2026, giving the company access to up to $1.6-billion in funding under the CHIPS
Program.  The funding comprises up to $277-million in federal funding and up to $1.3-billion in senior secured loan capacity.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants

None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information

USA Rare Earth, tel +1 813 867 6155 or

email info@usare.com/ir@usare.com.