American Critical Minerals (OTCQB:APCOF) highlights the significant addition of Potash to the US Geological Survey’s draft Critical Minerals List, a development that could substantially benefit the company’s Green River Project. The USGS estimates that over 92% of US potash consumption relies on imports, primarily from Canada, former Soviet Union, and Middle East.
The company emphasizes recent federal funding initiatives in the sector, including a $14 million USDA grant to Sage Potash for a Utah facility and a $3 million DFC commitment to Millennial Potash’s Banio Project. Additionally, the company has engaged Machai Capital for digital marketing services with a $400,000 upfront retainer.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / September 23, 2025 / American Critical Minerals Corp. (“American Critical Minerals” or the “Company“) (CSE:KCLI)(OTCQB:APCOF)(Frankfurt:2P3) applauds the recent decision of the U.S. Federal Government to formalize the addition of Potash to the US Geological Survey’s (“USGS”) draft Critical Minerals List. This list is updated every 3 years and updates will be finalized this year after a 30-day period for public comments on the proposed changes to the List with the final version of the List expected shortly.
Potash has been included in the Critical Minerals List following Executive Orders issued by President Donald Trump earlier this year highlighting that potash should be designated as a Critical Mineral. Its inclusion is also reported to follow modelling which flagged the risks of potential trade barriers from major global suppliers especially with the USGS estimating that in excess of 92% of all potash consumed in the US is imported, mostly from Canada, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East.
According to the USGS, inclusion on the Critical Minerals List can position projects to be eligible for Federal funding, subject to a streamlined permitting process and to be more competitive due to fees placed on imports. For full details of the Department of the Interior Draft 2025 List of Critical Minerals please see https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/department-interior-releases-draft-2025-list-critical-minerals
In addition, the Company highlights the recent approval for a US$14 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Sage Potash (USA) Corporation, a subsidiary of Sage Potash Corp. This funding will support Sage Potash’s financing strategy for its planned construction of a potash production facility in the Paradox Basin in Utah. For full details please see: https://sagepotash.com/sage-potash-obtains-approval-for-us14-million-usda-grant-to-advance-project/
The Company also highlights that the International Development Finance Corporation (“DFC”) committed US$3 million in project development funding for Millennial Potash’s Banio Potash Project in Gabon, recognizing its potential strategic role to strengthen U.S. food security and supply chain resilience. Please see https://millennialpotash.com/news-releases/
Management Commentary
Simon Clarke President & CEO stated, “the recognition of Potash as a Critical Mineral by the US is a major milestone for the Industry and highlights the need for the US to develop domestic and other sources of supply as quickly as possible, especially with its current reliance on imports for the vast majority of the potash it consumes. It is critical that the US strengthens its food security and supply chain resilience and the size, potential scale and location of the Company’s Green River Project positions it very favourably as a potential source of significant potash supply.
Recent US Federal Government financing commitments in the Potash Sector, following the publication of the draft Critical Minerals List, further demonstrates the Administration’s commitment to strengthen the supply of potash and we believe we are very well placed to benefit from funding and other benefits that are available as we continue to advance our Project.”
Market Awareness Program
The Company also announces that it has engaged Machai Capital Inc. (“Machai“) to provide digital marketing services, including creating in-depth marketing campaigns involving corporate branding and social media and email marketing.
Machai is an arms-length marketing, advertising and public awareness firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Machai has been engaged for a term of up to 12 months for an upfront retainer of $400,000. The Company does not propose to issue any securities to Machai in consideration for the services to be provided to the Company. To the knowledge of the Company, Machai does not hold any securities of the Company, but Suneal Sandhu, the principal of Machai, currently holds 1,000,000 common shares and 500,000 share purchase warrants of the Company. Machai can be contacted at <suneal@machaicapital.com> or 101 – 17565 – 58 Avenue, Surrey, British Columbia, V3S 4E3, Canada.
About American Critical Minerals’ Green River Potash and Lithium Project
The Green River Potash and Lithium Project is situated within Utah’s highly productive Paradox Basin, located 20 miles northwest of Moab, Utah and has significant logistical advantages including close proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns and labour markets. It also benefits from close proximity to the agricultural and industrial heartland of America and numerous potential end-users for its products.
The history of oil and gas production across the Paradox Basin provides geologic data from historic wells across the Project, and the wider Basin, validating and de-risking the potential for high grade potash and large amounts of contained lithium. Wells in and around the project reported lithium up to 500 ppm, bromine up to 6,100 ppm and boron up to 1,260 ppm (Gilbride & Santos, 2012). This data is reinforced by nearby potash production and the advanced stage of neighbouring lithium projects. The Paradox Basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in US (Source: Anson Fastmarkets Presentation – https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02823465.pdf ) The Company also has a 43-101 Exploration Target of 600 million to 1 billion tonnes of sylvinite (the most important source for the production of potash in North America) with average grades ranging from 19% to 29% KCL.**
The Company holds a 100% interest in eleven State of Utah (“SITLA“) mineral and minerals salt leases covering approximately 7,050 acres, 1,094 federal lithium brine claims (BLM Placer Claims) covering 21,150 acres, and 11 federal (BLM) potash prospecting permits covering approximately 25,480 acres. Through these leases, permits and claims the Company has the ability to explore for potash, lithium and potential by-products across the entire Green River Project (approx. 32,530 acres). The Company is authorized to drill a total of 7 exploratory drill holes across the Project (pending bonding the recently approved 4 drill holes).
Intrepid Potash, Inc. is America’s largest potash company and only U.S. domestic potash producer and currently produces potash from its nearby Moab Solution Mine, which the Company believes provides strong evidence of stratigraphic continuity within this part of the Paradox Basin (www.intrepidpotash.com). Anson Resources Ltd. has advanced lithium development projects contiguous to the northern boundary of our Green River Project and neighbouring to the south. Anson has a large initial resource, robust definitive feasibility study and has recently completed successful piloting operations through its partnership with Koch Technology Solutions, as well as an offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution. The Anson exploration targets encompass the combined Mississippian Leadville Formation and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation brine-bearing clastic layers, which also underlie American Critical Minerals’ entire project area (www.ansonresources.com)*.
In 2022, the U.S. imported approx. 96.5% of its annual potash requirements with domestic producers receiving a higher sales price due to proximity to market (intrepidpotash.com/ August 15, 2024, Investor Presentation). In March 2024, the US Senate introduced a bill to include key fertilizers and potash on the US Department of Interior list of Critical Minerals which already includes lithium and this process is well advanced with potash being added to the USGS Draft Critical Minerals List. In August 2025. Recent market estimates suggest that the global potash market is over US$50 billion annually and growing at a compound annual growth rate(“CAGR“) of close to 5%. Annual lithium demand is now estimated to be over 1 million tonnes globally and continuing to grow rapidly.***