USA Rare Earth South Carolina magnet plant: capacity and supply-chain notes for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
USA Rare Earth has broken ground on a $1.2 billion, 800,000-square-foot rare earth metal and NdFeB magnet manufacturing plant on a 124-acre site in Bailey Industrial Park, Blacksburg, South Carolina, expected to create about 490 manufacturing jobs. The facility is targeting 6,400 tpa of sintered neodymium-iron-boron magnets and 5,000 tpa of strip-cast metal and alloy from 2028, complementing its Stillwater, Oklahoma line for a combined 10,000 tpa domestic NdFeB capacity. USAR has also taken a minority stake in France’s Carester to support expansion of a rare earth processing plant opening later this year.
Technical Brief
- Site selection followed a screening of nearly 275 candidate locations across the United States.
- Blacksburg was chosen for reliable grid power, transport links and proximity to customers and suppliers.
- USA Rare Earth is targeting commissioning of the South Carolina facility to begin in 2028.
- The new plant is intended to integrate with USAR’s Stillwater, Oklahoma commercial magnet line commissioned earlier this year.
- USAR has taken a minority equity stake in France-based Carester to fund expansion of its rare earth processing plant.
- Carester’s expanded processing facility is scheduled to come online later this year, feeding upstream rare earth supply.
- A US$250,000 contribution to Spartanburg Community College will support the SPARK Centre for workforce development.
- Project is part of US–EU efforts to reduce reliance on China, which controls ~90% of processed rare earth output.
Our Take
USA Rare Earth’s South Carolina NdFeB facility sits alongside its proposed US$2.8 billion acquisition of Serra Verde in Brazil, signalling a strategy to pair upstream ionic clay rare earth supply with downstream magnet manufacturing in the United States.
With China processing about 90% of relevant rare earth output, this Bailey Industrial Park plant positions USA Rare Earth among a small group of non‑Chinese players in our database attempting full mine‑to‑magnet integration, which could give OEMs an alternative for defence and EV supply chains.
The 2028 commissioning target aligns with USA Rare Earth’s broader critical minerals timeline seen in our coverage, where US and Brazil policy moves on rare earths are converging, potentially smoothing permitting and offtake pathways for the company’s Stillwater and Mesa operations feeding magnet production.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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