Blab Tech
U.S. Export-Import Bank Grants $58 Million to Advance Domestic Critical Mineral Projects
The Export‑Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) announced on August 10 2026 that it will provide $58 million in financing to three companies working on domestic critical‑mineral projects. The funds are part of the bank’s Make More in America initiative and are intended to support the construction, equipment installation, and operational readiness of facilities that will produce graphite, tantalum, niobium, and boron for U.S. industry.
EXIM’s decision follows a series of similar loans over the past year, including a $27 million loan to 6K Additive for titanium and nickel powders in Pennsylvania, up to $10 billion for the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve under Project Vault, and a $2.9 billion loan for Perpetua Resources’ stibnite project in Idaho. The new package was announced during President Donald Trump’s August 7 critical‑minerals roundtable.
The three recipients are Westwater Resources Inc., Global Advanced Metals USA, Inc., and 5E Advanced Materials Inc. Westwater will receive $25 million to continue construction and commissioning of the Kellyton Graphite Plant in central Alabama. The plant is designed to produce approximately 12,500 metric tons of coated spherical purified graphite per year in its first phase, a material used as the active anode in lithium‑ion batteries. Westwater aims for commercial production in 2027 and is also developing the Coosa Graphite Deposit as a long‑term source of natural graphite concentrate.
Global Advanced Metals will receive $25 million to support its Boyertown, Pennsylvania, facility, which the company describes as the only fully integrated U.S. producer of tantalum and niobium. The plant has operated for more than 70 years and processes these metals into capacitor powders, alloy metallurgical products, and other components used in electronics and advanced applications. EXIM did not disclose how the funds will be deployed at the Boyertown site.
The remaining $8 million will go to 5E Advanced Materials for its Boron Americas project, also known as the Fort Cady complex, in California. 5E reports that the project is fully permitted and has already established boron‑production infrastructure. Boron is used in permanent magnets, semiconductors, glass, and other products, and the project represents a step toward a domestic supply chain for this critical material.
According to Westwater Executive Chairman Terence Cryan, the financing “represents a significant milestone for Westwater and an important federal commitment to building a secure domestic supply chain for battery‑grade natural graphite.” EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic said the deals are “a large part of EXIM’s strategy to fortify our supply chains, restore crucial industries that support well‑paying American jobs, and safeguard everyday Americans from supply shocks.”
The funding reflects the U.S. government’s broader effort to reduce reliance on foreign sources of graphite, tantalum, niobium, and boron. By providing medium‑ and long‑term financing for export‑oriented manufacturing projects, EXIM seeks to expand domestic mining, processing, and manufacturing capacity for strategically important materials. The projects are positioned to move critical minerals from domestic or allied sources into American industry, supporting the transition to clean‑energy technologies and advanced electronics.
At present, Westwater’s Kellyton plant is under construction, with structural steel and dust‑collection equipment already installed. Global Advanced Metals continues to operate its long‑standing Boyertown facility, while 5E has begun mining operations at its Boron Americas complex. The next milestones for the projects are the start of commercial production at Kellyton in 2027 and the scaling of boron output at Fort Cady, both of which will bring additional domestic supply of critical minerals into the U.S. market.
The $58 million package underscores the federal commitment to strengthening critical‑mineral supply chains. As the U.S. moves toward greater self‑reliance in these materials, the projects funded by EXIM will play a key role in meeting the growing demand for battery‑grade graphite, high‑performance tantalum and niobium, and advanced boron products.
EXIM’s decision follows a series of similar loans over the past year, including a $27 million loan to 6K Additive for titanium and nickel powders in Pennsylvania, up to $10 billion for the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve under Project Vault, and a $2.9 billion loan for Perpetua Resources’ stibnite project in Idaho. The new package was announced during President Donald Trump’s August 7 critical‑minerals roundtable.
The three recipients are Westwater Resources Inc., Global Advanced Metals USA, Inc., and 5E Advanced Materials Inc. Westwater will receive $25 million to continue construction and commissioning of the Kellyton Graphite Plant in central Alabama. The plant is designed to produce approximately 12,500 metric tons of coated spherical purified graphite per year in its first phase, a material used as the active anode in lithium‑ion batteries. Westwater aims for commercial production in 2027 and is also developing the Coosa Graphite Deposit as a long‑term source of natural graphite concentrate.
Global Advanced Metals will receive $25 million to support its Boyertown, Pennsylvania, facility, which the company describes as the only fully integrated U.S. producer of tantalum and niobium. The plant has operated for more than 70 years and processes these metals into capacitor powders, alloy metallurgical products, and other components used in electronics and advanced applications. EXIM did not disclose how the funds will be deployed at the Boyertown site.
The remaining $8 million will go to 5E Advanced Materials for its Boron Americas project, also known as the Fort Cady complex, in California. 5E reports that the project is fully permitted and has already established boron‑production infrastructure. Boron is used in permanent magnets, semiconductors, glass, and other products, and the project represents a step toward a domestic supply chain for this critical material.
According to Westwater Executive Chairman Terence Cryan, the financing “represents a significant milestone for Westwater and an important federal commitment to building a secure domestic supply chain for battery‑grade natural graphite.” EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic said the deals are “a large part of EXIM’s strategy to fortify our supply chains, restore crucial industries that support well‑paying American jobs, and safeguard everyday Americans from supply shocks.”
The funding reflects the U.S. government’s broader effort to reduce reliance on foreign sources of graphite, tantalum, niobium, and boron. By providing medium‑ and long‑term financing for export‑oriented manufacturing projects, EXIM seeks to expand domestic mining, processing, and manufacturing capacity for strategically important materials. The projects are positioned to move critical minerals from domestic or allied sources into American industry, supporting the transition to clean‑energy technologies and advanced electronics.
At present, Westwater’s Kellyton plant is under construction, with structural steel and dust‑collection equipment already installed. Global Advanced Metals continues to operate its long‑standing Boyertown facility, while 5E has begun mining operations at its Boron Americas complex. The next milestones for the projects are the start of commercial production at Kellyton in 2027 and the scaling of boron output at Fort Cady, both of which will bring additional domestic supply of critical minerals into the U.S. market.
The $58 million package underscores the federal commitment to strengthening critical‑mineral supply chains. As the U.S. moves toward greater self‑reliance in these materials, the projects funded by EXIM will play a key role in meeting the growing demand for battery‑grade graphite, high‑performance tantalum and niobium, and advanced boron products.
