First Phosphate cheers U.S. adding phosphate to list

Executive Summary

• First Phosphate Corp. welcomes the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s decision to add "phosphate" to the Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, aligning the U.S. with Canada, South Korea, the EU, and Canadian provinces in recognizing phosphate's strategic importance.
• The company successfully advocated for this classification by submitting a 15-page letter highlighting phosphate's critical role in defense and energy sectors, specifically regarding the rapid emergence of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
• First Phosphate highlighted its operational progress, noting it has produced commercial-grade LFP 18650 battery cells using high-purity phosphoric acid and iron powder derived from its flagship Begin-Lamarche property in Quebec.

Key Details

• Regulatory Action: The U.S. Department of the Interior, acting through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), added phosphate to the Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals based on recommendations from the Departments of Energy, War, and Agriculture.
• Company Advocacy: First Phosphate submitted a 15-page letter during the USGS comment period, emphasizing the defense and energy implications of phosphate, particularly for LFP batteries used in energy storage, data centers, robotics, mobility, and national security.
• Industry Recognition: The company reiterated receiving a "met" rating from the Defense Industrial Base Consortium for its white paper on securing the North American phosphate supply for LFP cathode materials.
• Asset Profile: The Begin-Lamarche property in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, is identified as one of North America's rare igneous phosphate resources, yielding high-purity phosphate with minimal impurities suitable for cathode active material (CAM) production.
• Operational Milestone: First Phosphate recently produced commercial-grade LFP 18650 battery cells using North American critical minerals, utilizing high-purity phosphoric acid and iron powder produced from rare igneous anorthosite rock extracted from the Begin-Lamarche property.

Notable Quotes

• "First Phosphate has applauded the decision by the United States Secretary of the Interior... to add 'phosphate' to the United States' Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals."
• "First Phosphate submitted a full 15-page letter highlighting the critical defense and energy related implications of phosphate given to the rapid emergence of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for energy storage, data centres, robotics, mobility and national security apparatus."