News: Suppliers
29 September 2025
US Critical Materials and GreenMet ally for US gallium and critical mineral independence
Private rare-earths exploration and process development company US Critical Materials Corp of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA has announced a strategic advisory alliance with GreenMet, a Washington DC-based firm specializing in critical minerals strategy and financing. The partnership marks a step in advancing domestic US rare-earth production, with gallium at the forefront.
US Critical Materials holds the highest-grade reported gallium deposit in the USA, with concentrations averaging 300ppm — far exceeding the 50ppm that the USA had been importing, predominantly from China. As it is essential for advanced semiconductors, defense electronics and satellite communications, gallium has been identified by the US government as a critical mineral with high supply chain vulnerability. The Sheep Creek deposit in Montana will prioritize gallium as one of the first minerals to be processed under its Phase II Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
Consistent with an executive order by President Trump on 20 March, the parties have entered into preliminary discussions with a major Army installation base in Alabama as a site for the environmentally benign processing of rare-earth elements, critical minerals, the strategic storing of these materials, and an Innovation Center to provide critical mineral war-fighting capabilities.
Sheep Creek’s mineral profile is said to be unmatched domestically, with ore grades approaching 9% total rare earths (89,932ppm) and combined neodymium and praseodymium concentrations of 2.4% (23,810ppm), as verified by the Idaho National Laboratory and by Activation Labs. The initial 2.5 square-mile site — part of a broader 11 square-mile claim — hosts over 60 carbonatite formations, underscoring its potential for high-grade, strategically vital resources.
GreenMet will serve as strategic advisor to US Critical Materials, supporting efforts to secure federal funding through grants and concessional loans aimed at strengthening US critical mineral supply chains. The engagement will be led by GreenMet’s founder & CEO Drew Horn, a recognized authority in defense supply chain strategy and former senior official at the White House National Security Council, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense.
“Gallium is not just a mineral — it's a strategic asset,” says Horn. “US Critical Materials is uniquely positioned to deliver high-grade gallium and rare earths from a secure domestic source, directly supporting US national security and technological independence,” he adds.
“We look forward to working closely with GreenMet to help establish rare-earth and critical mineral sovereignty for the United States,” says US Critical Materials’ executive chairman Harvey Kaye.
The alliance reinforces US Critical Materials’ commitment to building a resilient, domestic supply chain for critical minerals, with gallium as a cornerstone of its national security mission.
With substantial mineral holdings in Montana and Idaho, the firm is dedicated to securing a domestically sustainable, high-grade supply of rare-earth elements and gallium, reducing US reliance on imports, and ensuring a stable, independent supply chain for national security. It is currently utilizing and developing environmentally friendly technologies for exploration and processing of rare earths and critical minerals.
US Critical Materials announces discovery of gallium at Sheep Creek, Montana
US Department of Energy releases 2023 Critical Materials Assessment
