At the Semafor World Economy forum, USA Rare Earth CEO Barbara Humpton explained that the company is actively pursuing acquisition opportunities worldwide across the entire critical minerals supply chain. This includes everything from extraction and refining to magnet production.

Highlighting the company’s international strategy, she pointed to a recent agreement to acquire a stake in Carester, a rare earth processing firm based in France, in partnership with French investor Infravia, according to Semafor. 

Speaking in Washington, DC, Humpton noted that this move will soon enable the company to establish a processing operation in Europe capable of supplying both European and Asian markets.

She emphasized that the company’s priority is to secure the highest-quality assets available, regardless of whether they are located within the United States or abroad.

Humpton also revealed that USA Rare Earth is preparing to begin metal production at its facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma. This site is expected to become the first fully integrated rare earth metal and magnet manufacturing operation in the Americas.

Semafor writes that meanwhile, in January, the Trump administration announced a $1.6 billion investment in the company. The funding is intended to support both a mining project in Texas and the Oklahoma manufacturing facility.

This investment aligns with broader U.S. efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese imports, as China currently dominates the global rare earth mining and processing industry. As part of this strategy, the government has taken stakes in several domestic producers and is working toward establishing a national reserve of critical minerals.

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