Apex Critical acquires options to U.S. property package

Mr. Sean Charland reports APEX CRITICAL METALS EXPANDS STRATEGIC FOCUS WITH U.S. CRITICAL MINERALS PROPERTY ACQUISITION Apex Critical Metals Corp. has provided an update on a corporate initiative to expand its holdings within the United States as part of a broader positioning within the North American critical minerals sector. The company, through a local agent, has acquired rights to explore and options to purchase a 2,407-acre Midwestern U.S.-based property package it considers highly prospective for rare earth elements (REEs) and critical mineral mineralization based on a historic exploration data set available to the company. The project covers a large portion of a rare metal complex that has been known for more than 50 years but remains largely underexplored. Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. has been retained to review the historical exploration data and provide recommendations going forward. Sean Charland, chief executive officer of Apex Critical Metals, stated: "I've personally worked with Jody Dahrouge and his team for more than two decades, with several years spent evaluating rare earth element exploration opportunities. Over the past year, in addition to our collaborations in Canada (Cap project), we've focused our efforts on a particular district in the U.S. that we believe holds significant potential for rare earth and niobium discoveries. The recent shifting of government priorities and industrial demand forecasts aligns well with the highly prospective portfolio we are building at Apex." The property package to date totals 2,407 acres, and the company acquired the rights to explore as well as an option to purchase the mineral interest in respect of the properties or an aggregate purchase price of $567,472.84. The company shall have the option to purchase the mineral interest in respect of the properties by paying the sum of $10,000 (U.S.) per acre. If the option is exercised by the company, an aggregate 2.5-per-cent net smelter return (NSR) royalty is payable, with Apex retaining the right to repurchase 0.25 per cent of the NSR for $500,000 (U.S.). Rare earth supply chain dynamics This acquisition comes at a time of unprecedented investment in U.S. rare earths. On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a $400-million (U.S.) equity stake in MP Materials Corp., operator of the Mountain Pass mine, in a deal that also included a decade-long guaranteed pricing arrangement for permanent magnets used in defence applications. Just days later, Apple Inc. signed a $500-million (U.S.) multiyear supply agreement with MP Materials, marking one of the largest corporate commitments to a U.S.-based rare earth producer in history. The urgency is reinforced by the U.S. Geological Survey's 2025 mineral commodity summaries, which note that the U.S. is 100 per cent import dependent for 12 critical minerals, including rare earths and niobium. In 2024, U.S. consumption of rare earths was approximately 8,800 metric tonnes REO (rare earth oxide) equivalent, while domestic mine production at Mountain Pass was approximately 43,000 tons, almost all shipped to China for refining. For niobium, more than 90 per cent of global supply comes from Brazil, with the U.S. having no domestic production. Apex's move into the U.S. market is aligned with government priorities to reduce reliance on foreign sources of these essential inputs. Governments across the Allied world are reshaping policy to meet these challenges. In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney has proposed that investments in critical minerals development be counted toward NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) defence commitments -- a framework that could channel billions into mining and processing as part of national security obligations. In the United States, the Department of Defense has already backed MP Materials and Lynas Rare Earths' Texas processing facility, with analysts expecting further Defense Production Act funding to be deployed in the coming months. Meanwhile, China has extended its production quota system to imported rare earth concentrates, a move that could create new bottlenecks for global supply. Together, these shifts highlight both the risks of foreign dependence and the opportunity for companies such as Apex to play a meaningful role in building secure supply chains across North America. The company also notes increased validation from peer activity. Earlier this year, Critical Metals Corp. secured a 10-year offtake agreement with Greenland's Tanbreez project, ensuring future REE feed for Allied markets. Energy Fuels Inc. recently produced the first kilogram of 99.9-per-cent-pure dysprosium oxide ever refined in the U.S., a milestone for heavy rare earth separation outside of Asia. With assets spanning British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and now the United States, Apex is establishing itself as a continental critical minerals company. The company's portfolio is built around carbonatite systems, the same rock type hosting world-class deposits such as Araxa in Brazil, Bayan Obo in China, Niobec in Canada and Mountain Pass in the United States. Apex will provide further updates as the company finalizes its property acquisitions and exploration progresses. Cautionary statement regarding project disclosure The references herein to market trends and resource projects other than those held by the company are for informational purposes only and based only on publicly available information. The company urges readers to conduct their own review of any of the third party information contained herein, including its relevance to the business of the company, prior to making an investment decision in respect of the company. Mineral exploration and development are highly speculative and are characterized by a number of significant inherent risks, which may result in the inability to successfully develop projects for commercial, technical, political, regulatory or financial reasons, or, if successfully developed, may not remain economically viable for their mine life owing to any of the foregoing reasons. The company's mineral resource prospects are at an early stage and there is no assurance that the company will be successful in achieving a return on shareholders' investment and the likelihood of success must be considered in light of the early stage of operations. For a more comprehensive overview of the risks related to the company's business, please review the company's continuous disclosure documents, each filed under the company's profile on SEDAR+. Qualified person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Nathan Schmidt, PGeo (Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia licence No. 48336), geologist for Dahrouge Geological Consulting and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Apex Critical Metals Corp. Apex Critical Metals is a Canadian exploration company specializing in the acquisition and development of properties prospective for carbonatites and alkaline rocks with potential to host economic concentrations of rare earth elements, niobium, gold and copper mineralization. Apex's Cap property, located 85 kilometres northeast of Prince George, B.C., spans 25 square kilometres and hosts a recently identified promising 1.8-kilometre niobium in soil trend. The company's Bianco carbonatite project encompasses 3,735 hectares covering a large carbonatite complex within an area known for significant niobium mineralization in Northwestern Ontario. The Lac Le Moyne project covers approximately 4,025 hectares and is situated several kilometres to the northwest of Commerce Resources Corp.'s Eldor carbonatite complex, located in Quebec, Canada. Carbonatites are extremely rare rock types, with around 600 known worldwide. They are host to REE minerals, niobium, tantalum and phosphate, as well as copper and gold. Carbonatites are host to the world's largest and most productive niobium deposits, including Araxa and Catalao in Brazil and Niobec in Quebec. In addition, they are the primary source of REEs, including Mountain Pass in California, Mount Weld in Australia and Bayan Obo in China. They are also important sources of phosphate (apatite), including Cargill, Ont., while the Palabora mine in South Africa has produced copper, nickel, gold, magnetite and vermiculite. Other carbonatites are known to have produced gold, iron, zirconium, fluorite and other industrial minerals. By acquiring a multitude of carbonatite projects, Apex intends to investigate potential high-value opportunities to meet the growing global demand of specialty metals across various industries. Apex is publicly listed in Canada on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol APXC and quoted on the OTCQX market in the United States under the symbol APXCF and in Germany on the Borse Frankfurt under the symbol KL9 and/or WKN: A40CCQ. We seek Safe Harbor.