US Strategic Metals (USSM), LCR Capital Partners’ partner in a rural EB-5 project, continues to play a vital role in bolstering the United States’ critical minerals supply chain—a key component of the country’s national security strategy.
With Phase I of its refinery operations complete and construction on Phase II already underway, USSM is expanding its processing capabilities to further reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign sources of battery-grade minerals, including cobalt, nickel, lithium, and copper. As of April 2025, $66.8 million has been invested in the project’s second phase, building on a total pro forma company capitalization of over $503 million.
USSM’s processing and recycling operations in Fredericktown, Missouri, are located on a remediated Superfund site in America’s heartland. The company is establishing itself as a strategic domestic resource for refining the minerals essential to US defense, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing.
“A bright green future is within our grasp, and USSM’s large and reliable source of domestic battery minerals can be delivered without the human rights issues that exist at most of the global sources of battery minerals,” said Stacy W. Hastie, CEO of USSM.
National Security at the Core
In recent years, global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions have underscored the vulnerability of the United States’ access to strategic minerals. USSM addresses this concern directly by providing a secure, ethical, and domestically controlled source of battery-critical minerals—materials essential not only for electric vehicles, but also for defense technologies, telecommunications, and energy infrastructure.
On January 30, 2025, Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, emphasized the critical role of strategic minerals for the United States, stating, “All of that depends on critical minerals at the end of the day, ranging [from] aluminum, cobalt, you name it.” This further demonstrates the importance of the USSM EB-5 rural project in meeting the demands of the US government.
Federal Policy Momentum Supports Projects Like USSM
Recent federal actions reinforce the strategic importance of domestic critical mineral production. In March 2025, the White House issued an executive order directing agencies to expedite the approval of domestic mineral production projects, prioritize mining on federal lands, and unlock public and private capital to support development efforts. The order positions mineral production as a top national security and economic priority.
Following this executive order, in June 2025 the White House issued a presidential memorandum calling for greater coordination among federal agencies to streamline funding for energy infrastructure and critical mineral projects. By mandating a common application process and improved information-sharing across departments, the government aims to eliminate funding bottlenecks and accelerate support for initiatives like USSM.
Together, these directives signal a strong and growing federal commitment to building a secure, resilient, and independent domestic supply chain—goals that USSM is helping to realize on the ground in Missouri.
Source: Why Secretary of State Marco Rubio is Heading to Panama for His First Foreign Trip in New Role, January 30, 2025, Megyn Kelly YouTube Channel. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ooaiSs4Rpw
