Ionic Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:IXR, OTC:IXRRF) has received approval for its ordinary shares to trade on the OTCQB® Venture Market in the United States under the ticker OTC: IXRRF, broadening the company’s access to US-based investors.
Admission to the OTCQB is expected to improve visibility and trading access for North American investors seeking exposure to IonicRE’s heavy rare earths and magnet recycling strategy, supporting the company’s efforts to expand its international shareholder base.
“IonicRE’s admission to the OTCQB Market is a strategically important milestone that broadens access to US investors and strengthens our alignment with North American critical minerals priorities, as we progress a portfolio of rare earth primary and secondary supply assets positioned to support secure, transparent supply chains," IonicRE managing director, Tim Harrison said.
“The appetite for our heavy rare earth products and technology within Northern Hemisphere markets is extremely strong, with this material underpinning trillions of dollars’ worth of value added goods, and growth areas for industry, including defence, advanced manufacturing and renewables.”
IonicRE executive chairman, Brett Lynch eloborated: “This OTCQB admission reflects growing international interest in our rare earth strategy and marks another deliberate step towards deeper engagement with US capital markets aligned with critical minerals security.
“IonicRE is building a global industrial business based on rare earth permanent magnet recycling and we see this as a natural next step in opening up further opportunities for US and other international investors to participate in our worldwide expansion.”
Alignment with US partnerships and policy
The US listing follows IonicRE’s recent Memorandum of Understanding with Missouri-based US Strategic Metals (USSM), underscoring its focus on strengthening US–Australia collaboration in critical minerals.
IonicRE said the OTCQB admission aligns with its strategy of operating in jurisdictions actively supporting secure, transparent and non-Chinese supply chains for critical minerals, including rare earth elements that are designated as strategically important by the United States.
Rare earths are key inputs for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies, electric vehicles and defence applications, with increased US capital markets exposure expected to enhance engagement with investors aligned to these priorities.
Portfolio positioned for Western supply chains
IonicRE’s asset base and initiatives include:
- A patented rare earth magnet recycling technology, making IonicRE the only Western recycler currently producing separated and refined magnet rare earth oxides through its wholly owned subsidiary, Ionic Technologies, at the Belfast Demonstration Plant in Northern Ireland.
- Plans to scale its recycling technology across priority markets including the UK/Europe, North and South America, the Gulf states and Asia. In the US, the company is assessing the potential development of a multi-metal rare earth recycling facility at USSM’s fully permitted site in Missouri.
- The Makuutu Heavy Rare Earths Project in Uganda, an advanced development asset with a 45% heavy rare earth basket. The project is development-ready with environmental approvals, a demonstration plant and a permitted mine in place, subject to a final investment decision and funding.
- A growing presence in Brazil through a 50:50 joint venture with Viridis Mining and Metals (ASX: VMM), targeting a rare earth refinery and magnet recycling facility using IonicRE’s separation technology and feedstock from the Colossus Project, with longer-term potential for U.S. expansion.
- An established resource base with demonstrated potential to produce both didymium (NdPr) and heavy rare earth elements including dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb).
Geopolitical backdrop supports strategy
The company’s positioning comes amid heightened global focus on securing alternative rare earth supply chains following China’s export restrictions.
In a proclamation dated January 14, 2026, US President Donald Trump described processed critical minerals and their derivatives as “essential to the national security of the United States,” citing their importance across defence programs and critical infrastructure.
Similar concerns have been echoed by G7 nations, the European Union, Japan and Australia as governments move to accelerate the development of ex-China rare earth supply chains.