Disseminated on behalf of  Powermax Minerals Inc. (CSE: PMAX) (OTCQB: PWMXF) and may include paid advertising.

• Governments and industry are accelerating investment to rebuild domestic rare earth element (“REE”) supply chains, as Powermax Minerals advances early-stage REE assets in Canada and the United States amid tightening supply.
• New refining, magnet manufacturing, and recycling projects, underscore strategic urgency in North America, while China’s dominance of REE processing continues to shape policy and capital allocation decisions.
• Exploration progress at Atikokan greatly strengthens Powermax’s technical foundation in a proven mining district.

A wave of recent investment announcements across the United States is underscoring how rare earth elements have moved from niche commodities to strategic priorities. From refining facilities in Louisiana to magnet recycling hubs in Texas, governments and companies are working to rebuild domestic supply chains long dominated by China. The trend highlights growing opportunities not only in downstream processing and manufacturing, but also in upstream exploration, where companies such as Powermax Minerals (CSE: PMAX) (OTCQB: PWMXF) are positioning themselves.

The urgency is rooted in geopolitics as much as economics. China controls roughly 60% of global rare earth mining and close to 90% of processing capacity. Export restrictions imposed by Beijing over the past two years have sharpened concerns in Washington and Ottawa about supply security for defense systems, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics. In response, North America is beginning to assemble a more integrated REE ecosystem.

A recent example came in December, when Louisiana announced that ElementUSA would invest $850 million to build a rare earth and critical minerals refining facility in St. John Parish. The project, supported by a $29.9 million U.S. Department of Defense grant, aims to extract gallium, scandium, and other critical minerals from bauxite residue, strengthening domestic supply while creating more than 750 direct and indirect jobs (https://ibn.fm/qWCBB).

That announcement followed similar momentum in magnet manufacturing and recycling. HyProMag USA finalized a long-term lease for a rare earth magnet recycling and manufacturing facility in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, targeting commissioning by mid-2027. The project uses patented hydrogen processing technology to recover rare earth magnets from end-of-life products, contributing to a circular, domestic supply chain (https://ibn.fm/NQDGu).

Together, these developments reflect a broader effort to reduce reliance on Chinese-controlled material flows. USA Rare Earth, for example, has articulated an ex-China magnet strategy built around vertical integration, from mining to finished magnets, to support defense and clean energy applications (https://ibn.fm/Z7xGf). While execution risks remain, the policy backdrop is increasingly supportive, with more than $1 billion in U.S. defense-related funding earmarked for critical minerals supply chains under instruments such as the Defense Production Act.

This downstream momentum has direct implications for upstream explorers. Global demand for rare earth elements is projected to triple from about 59,000 tonnes in 2022 to roughly 176,000 tonnes by 2035, driven largely by electric vehicles and wind power. At the same time, supply growth is expected to lag demand by as much as 30%, raising the risk of persistent shortages. Against that backdrop, exploration-stage companies are being reassessed as potential feeders into future North American supply chains.

Powermax Minerals is one such company. Based in Canada, Powermax is focused on identifying and advancing REE opportunities in both Canada and the United States. Its portfolio includes the Cameron REE property in British Columbia, the Atikokan REE property in Ontario, and a 100% interest in the Ogden Bear Lodge Project in Wyoming, as well the Pinard REE property in north Ontario which the company optioned on November 13 of this year (https://ibn.fm/yMx1B).

In December, Powermax reported completion of its 2025 field exploration program at the Atikokan property in northwestern Ontario, marking a key technical milestone. The program combined geological mapping, prospecting, ground-based radiometric surveys, and geochemical sampling across several priority targets. According to the company, 426 samples were collected, including soils, sediments, and rock samples, providing broad coverage of the property (https://ibn.fm/t5fyR).

Geological mapping at Atikokan identified three principal lithological domains, including granodiorite, granite, and gneissic tonalite. Management highlighted the presence of granitic and pegmatitic units as a potentially favorable indicator, given their association with late-stage magmatic processes that can concentrate rare earth elements. While Powermax cautioned that there is no assurance of economic mineralization, the results provide a framework for prioritizing future targets.

The field program also complements a high-resolution helicopter-borne magnetic and radiometric survey previously completed over the property. Powermax is awaiting final interpretation that will integrate airborne geophysical data with the 2025 field results, with the aim of refining structural controls and identifying anomalies for follow-up work. Chief Executive Officer Paul Gorman described the program as a foundational step that produced a robust technical dataset for evaluating both rare earth and critical metals potential.

Powermax’s assets in Wyoming and British Columbia add geographic diversification at a time when North American jurisdictions are increasingly aligned on critical minerals policy. Canadian companies, in particular, are eligible for U.S. defense-related grants and long-term purchase commitments tied to supply chain security, expanding potential funding avenues for successful projects.

As governments continue to emphasize energy transition, defense readiness, and industrial resilience, rare earth elements are likely to remain a focal point. Powermax’s progress at Atikokan and its broader portfolio position the company as an early participant in a market where supply constraints and policy support are reshaping long-term fundamentals.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PowermaxMinerals.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PWMXF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/PWMXF

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