Ramaco and Mulberry Lay the groundwork for a U.S. rare earth supply chain

Ramaco Resources and Mulberry Industries announced a memorandum of understanding to negotiate a future offtake partnership one that points directly at a long-discussed but rarely realized goal: a fully domestic, ex-China rare earth and permanent magnet supply chain.

Brook Mine as a centerpiece

At the center of this development is Ramaco’s Brook Mine in Wyoming, a project that is already being described as historic. It is America’s first new rare earth and critical minerals mine in more than 70 years, built on an unconventional deposit hosted in coal and carbonaceous ore and believed to be among the largest of its kind in the country. Mining has commenced, construction of a pilot processing facility is underway, and the project is initially focused on vertically integrated production of commercial rare earth oxides.

Reinforcing stockpile

Under the MOU, Ramaco will negotiate the supply on a non-exclusive basis of customized oxide blends including samarium, neodymium-praseodymium, yttrium, gallium, and dysprosium/terbium. These materials would be directed to Mulberry Industries’ magnet manufacturing operations in Georgia, reinforcing an already significant 10-year rare earth stockpile.

Strategic importance

For Mulberry, the strategic importance is clear. As CEO Kevin Feng stated: “This Ramaco Resources partnership diversifies our rare earth sourcing so we can continue to scale quickly and ensure long-term supply chain freedom for our customers”. He also added: “We can establish a secure, ex-China supply chain for permanent magnets right here at home that strengthens America’s economic and national security.”

Mulberry manufactures NdFeB, SmCo, and AlNiCo permanent magnets and is one of the West’s only end to end producers of samarium cobalt magnets, a material class that remains indispensable for high-temperature and high-reliability defense applications, as well as aerospace, automotive, and advanced robotics.

From Ramaco’s perspective, the agreement connects resource development directly with downstream U.S. manufacturing. CEO Randall Atkins emphasized this alignment, stating: “Ramaco is proud to pursue a partnership with Mulberry Industries to supply domestically sourced rare earth oxide blends that underpin a resilient, ex-China permanent magnet supply chain:, With Brook Mine activities accelerating, Atkins added: “With mining at the Brook mine in Wyoming commencing earlier this year and construction of a pilot plant now underway, we will be positioned to deliver reliable feedstock tailored to Mulberry’s advanced magnet manufacturing. He concluded with a longer-term vision: “Together, we seek to build a durable, transparent supply chain that helps US innovators scale with confidence for the decade ahead.”

Improving U.S. technology sectors

Taken together, this MOU is more than a sourcing discussion. It is a signal that mine-to-magnet integration in the United States is moving from policy ambition to operational reality with direct implications for national security, advanced manufacturing, and the future competitiveness of U.S. technology sectors.