ST. LOUIS, April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- US Strategic Metals (USSM), a vertically integrated critical minerals platform headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Virtus Minerals (Virtus).

The MOU, signed in Kinshasa, sets forth and summarizes the mutual understanding and present intention of the Parties with respect to certain specific business opportunities and strategic collaborations in the North American and African critical minerals sector to supply the United States defense industrial base and strategic critical mineral supply chains for the U.S. and its allies.

Together the Parties are taking the first steps to directly secure the U.S.-Africa critical mineral supply chain by establishing the framework to direct production of cobalt products from the Virtus Chemaf asset to the U.S. for sale to USSM as the preferred U.S. downstream customer at its Fredericktown, Mo. multi-metallic hydrometallurgical facility.

USSM's Fredericktown facility is designed to process a range of critical minerals, including cobalt, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements from both primary and secondary sources. By bringing African-sourced intermediates together with domestic processing capabilities, the parties hope to contribute to a more resilient American-led supply chain, reducing dependence on adversary-controlled sources.

The partnership underscores USSM's commitment to supplying critical minerals essential to defense, aerospace and advanced technology applications. It also promotes U.S. strategic engagement in Africa, fostering peace and stability and furthering the recent historic agreements, the Washington Accords and the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement.

"This MOU marks an important step in our efforts to connect high-quality African resources with American processing expertise," said Stacy W. Hastie, CEO of USSM. "By directing production through our Missouri facility, we intend to help deliver ethically sourced, traceable cobalt and other strategic materials to the U.S. defense and commercial industries. We look forward to working closely with Virtus and their Congolese partners to advance shared goals of supply chain security and sustainable development."

"Virtus is excited to partner with USSM to advance our anchor investment in the Chemaf mining asset, strengthening the critical link between the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," said Phil Braun, CEO of Virtus. "We look forward to building a long, sustainable partnership that delivers these essential metals from the DRC to the U.S. We would also like to thank our Congolese partners, who recognize the strategic importance of welcoming American enterprise back to the region. Together, we will create hundreds if not thousands of high-quality jobs and drive lasting economic prosperity."

The MOU contemplates further discussions on logistics, supply chain optimization, marketing support, and technical collaboration in metallurgical processing.

About US Strategic Metals

US Strategic Metals is a vertically integrated critical minerals platform, and a leading near-term domestic producer of strategic metals in the United States. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and operating its fully permitted multi-metallic processing hub in Fredericktown, Missouri, USSM combines domestic resources, innovative hydrometallurgical technology, and experienced leadership to deliver reliable, ethically sourced, and environmentally responsible strategic metals for U.S. military, commercial, and global markets.

About Virtus Minerals

Virtus Minerals is a U.S.-based critical minerals company restoring American industrial leadership in global mining. As the first major American-owned mining operation established in the Democratic Republic of Congo in more than a decade, Virtus is reasserting U.S. presence in the world's most strategic copper and cobalt supply chain.

Focused on building secure, ethical, and non-adversarial sources of critical minerals, Virtus Minerals supports manufacturing, advanced technology, and strategic interests. The company works in close coordination with allied governments, trusted partners, and local stakeholders to deliver long-term supply chain security that serves U.S. strategic and national security interests.

Through socially responsible practices, Virtus creates value for stakeholders while upholding the highest environmental, ethical, and sustainability standards.

For more information, visit www.usstrategicmetals.com

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SOURCE US Strategic Metals