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Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report.

If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements.

These and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report are more fully described within “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors.” The risks described within “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report are not exhaustive. Other sections of this Annual Report describe additional factors that could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements.

In addition, statements of belief and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us, as applicable, as of the date of this Annual Report, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

MP Materials Corp., including its subsidiaries (the “Company,” “MP Materials,” “we,” “our,” and “us”), is the largest producer of rare earth materials in the Western Hemisphere. The Company, which is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, owns and operates the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine and Processing Facility (“Mountain Pass”), the only rare earth mining and processing site of scale in North America, and is constructing a rare earth metal, alloy and magnet manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas (the “Fort Worth Facility”), where the Company anticipates manufacturing neodymium-iron-boron (“NdFeB”) permanent magnets and its precursor products.

The Company produces rare earth concentrate products as well as refined rare earth oxides and related products. The rare earth concentrate is principally sold pursuant to the Offtake Agreement (as defined in Note 20, “Related Party Transactions,” in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements) to Shenghe (as defined in the “Customers” section below), that, in turn, typically sells that product to refiners in China. Following the commissioning of the Company’s Stage II optimization project (“Stage II”) in the third quarter of 2023, the Company began producing separated rare earth products, including neodymium-praseodymium (“NdPr”) oxide, that it began selling to customers globally in the fourth quarter of 2023. Additionally, in April 2022, the Company entered into a long-term agreement with General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) (“GM”) to supply U.S.-sourced and manufactured rare earth materials and finished magnets for the electric motors in more than a dozen models based on GM’s Ultium Platform. These developments are part of the Company’s Stage III downstream expansion strategy (“Stage III”).

Certain rare earth elements (“REE”) serve as critical inputs for the rare earth magnets inside the electric motors and generators powering carbon-reducing technologies such as hybrid and electric vehicles (referred to collectively as “xEVs”) and wind turbines, as well as drones, defense systems, robotics and many other high-growth, advanced technologies. Our integrated operations at Mountain Pass combine low production costs with high environmental standards, thereby restoring American leadership to a critical industry with a strong commitment to sustainability.

The Company’s mission is to maximize stockholder returns over the long-term by executing a disciplined business strategy to restore the full rare earth supply chain to the United States of America. The Company believes it will generate positive outcomes for U.S. national security and industry, the U.S. workforce, and the environment.

Rare Earth Industry Overview

When compared to industrial elements found in nature, such as aluminum, copper, and lead, the global annual production of REE is noticeably low. However, REE have become crucial enablers of technologies that are at the core of climate change initiatives worldwide, as well as ubiquitous gadgets, electronics, and robotics that have permeated modern society. REE are used in small, but often necessary, amounts in hundreds of different technologies, materials, and chemicals worldwide for commercial, industrial, social, medical, and environmental applications. In just a period of decades, REE have deeply integrated into the foundation of modern technology and industry, and have proven to be difficult to duplicate or replace.

By economic value, NdPr is the largest segment of the REE market. NdPr is primarily used in NdFeB permanent magnets for EV traction motors, wind power generators, drones, robotics, electronics and a growing list of other applications.

The REE group includes 17 elements, primarily the 15 lanthanide elements. Lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and promethium are considered “light” REE (“LREE”); samarium, europium and gadolinium are often referred to as “medium” REE; while terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium are considered “heavy” REE (“HREE”). The REE in the Mountain Pass ore body are contained primarily within bastnaesite and related minerals in which LREE are most abundant.

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The aggregate global market for rare earth oxides (“REO”) totaled approximately 209,000 metric tons (“MTs”) in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of approximately 6.1% through 2035, according to research by Adamas Intelligence Inc. (“Adamas”). Further, Adamas estimates that the NdPr segment of the REO market, which makes up a significant majority of the market value, is expected to grow at an 8.5% CAGR through 2035 (excluding the impact of swarf recycling), well in excess of the overall REO market. This expected growth will be driven by secular growth in demand for NdPr magnets.

Rare earth materials are used in a diverse array of end markets, including:

•Electric Mobility: traction motors in passenger xEVs, commercial xEVs, special purpose vehicles, two-wheelers, and other applications;

•Renewable Power Generation: wind power generators, for on- and offshore applications;

•Energy-Efficient Motors, Pumps and Compressors: heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems, elevators, escalators, consumer appliances and other industrial applications;

•Industrial and Service Robotics: motors, actuators, brakes and sensors used in industrial robots and welders, as well as service robots;

•Consumer and Medical Applications: smart phones, tablets, laptops, hard disk drives, audio speakers, microphones, cameras, printers, cordless power tools as well as fiber optics, laser crystals, x-ray equipment, prostheses, dental crowns and more;

•Critical Defense Systems: guidance and control systems, communications, avionics, global positioning systems, radar and sonar, drones, thermal barrier coatings and firearms; and

•Catalysts and Phosphors: catalysts for vehicle emissions reduction and fuel refining, as well as phosphors for energy-efficient lighting and counterfeit currency detection.

Process

The Company has established a three-stage business plan to enable and scale the full rare earth supply chain. Processing of rare earth materials at Mountain Pass includes five primary process steps: (i) mining and crushing; (ii) milling and flotation; (iii) roasting, leaching and impurity removal; (iv) separation and extraction; and (v) product finishing. Through its upstream operations (“Stage I”) (discussed below), which are comprised of the first two of these process steps, the Company produces rare earth concentrate that is marketed to refiners via a distribution arrangement. In 2023, the Company commenced midstream operations (“Stage II”), which consist of the latter three primary process steps to produce separated rare earth products that are marketed directly to end users and indirectly via distributors, with revenue generated primarily from the magnet supply chain. Lastly, the Company is establishing downstream (“Stage III”) capabilities at its Fort Worth Facility to convert a portion of the REO produced at Mountain Pass into rare earth magnets and its precursor products to be marketed directly to end users.

Stage I

Following the acquisition of Mountain Pass in July 2017, the Company began implementing Stage I, which was designed to re-establish stable, scaled production of rare earth concentrate leveraging the site’s existing processing facility.

Since restarting operations from cold-idle status, the Company implemented changes in the milling, flotation and tailings management processes; implemented and continue to advance an improved reagent scheme to improve mineral recovery; and implemented operational best practices. Since the implementation of the Company’s Stage I optimization plan and the achievement of commercial production of concentrate, the Company’s quarterly REO Production Volume (as defined in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) has exceeded 8,500 MTs, and the Company has achieved at least 40,000 MTs of annual REO Production Volume since 2021. The Company’s Stage I optimization plan enabled it to achieve what the Company believes to be world-class production cost levels for rare earth concentrate.

In November 2023, the Company announced its “Upstream 60K” strategy whereby the Company intends to grow its annual REO Production Volume to approximately 60,000 MTs by expanding upstream capacity via investments in further beneficiation, including the ability to process alternative feedstocks and upgrade lower-grade feedstocks. The Company aims to achieve this initiative within the next four years with modest incremental capital investment.

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Stage II

Stage II advanced the Company’s operations from the production of rare earth concentrate to the separation of individual REE. More specifically, the Company reintroduced an oxidizing roasting circuit, reoriented portions of the plant process flow, increased product finishing capacity, improved wastewater management, and made other improvements to materials handling and storage.

The roasting step that oxidizes the rare earth concentrate in a rotary kiln is crucial to ensuring cost-competitiveness. Removal of the lower-value cerium early in the Company’s separations process allows for a significant reduction in the mass of material to be separated and finished, thus reducing the energy, reagents, and wastewater required to produce the higher-value NdPr. Additionally, roasting facilitates a lower temperature leach that reduces maintenance costs and downtime.

During the third quarter of 2023, the Company began producing separated rare earth products. However, the Company expects that it may take several quarters to achieve its designed throughput of separated products. As the Company increases production of separated products over time, it expects to improve the Company’s per-unit costs of NdPr oxide, which represents a majority of the value contained in the Company’s concentrate. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company began utilizing a tolling partner in Southeast Asia to process the Company’s NdPr oxide into NdPr metal for delivery to the Company’s customers globally.

In February 2022, the Company was awarded a $35.0 million contract by the Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, to design and build a facility to process HREE. Successful completion of this project will establish, for the first time in many years, commercial-scale processing and separation of HREE in support of commercial and defense applications in the U.S. The HREE processing and separations facility (the “HREE Facility”) will be built at Mountain Pass and will be integrated into the rest of the Company’s Stage I and Stage II facilities. The Company is currently advancing the facilitating works, engineering and procurement for the HREE Facility, which is expected to support the separating of HREE contained in the Mountain Pass ore as well as from third-party feedstocks.

Stage III

The Company’s mission is to restore the full rare earth magnetics supply chain to the U.S. by pursuing opportunities to integrate further downstream by converting NdPr oxide into permanent magnets and precursor products, as well as advancing magnet recycling capabilities. In February 2022, the Company commenced construction of a rare earth metal, alloy and magnet manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, completing the building and office space in November 2023. As currently designed, the Company expects the Fort Worth Facility to produce approximately 1,000 MTs of finished rare earth magnets per year, sufficient to power more than 700,000 electric vehicle motors annually. The rare earth magnets and precursor products produced may also support other key markets, including clean energy, electronic and defense technologies. The Fort Worth Facility serves as the business and engineering headquarters for the Company’s magnetics division.

The Company’s vertical integration into magnet production would establish MP Materials as the first and only fully-integrated source of supply for rare earth magnets in the Western Hemisphere. By offering magnet customers a complete, end-to-end Western supply chain solution, the Company believes vertical integration represents a material incremental value creation opportunity. The Company believes that the ability to capture significant value from magnet production requires a scaled, steady supply of NdPr, which the Company believes it is uniquely positioned to provide in the Western Hemisphere.

Strategy

Offer the Western Hemisphere a trusted, sustainable source of supply for materials and components that enable the development of critical industries.

The low-volume nature of rare earth mining coupled with the exceptional scale and quality of the ore body results in a resource with significant viability well into the future.

Upon achieving our designed throughput of separated products, the Company believes Mountain Pass will be one of the largest, most advanced and efficient fully-integrated REO processing facilities in the world, and the only such facility located in the Western Hemisphere. The Company aims to provide users of rare earths a domestic alternative that helps avoid the risks

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associated with the single point-of-failure that Chinese producers represent. In addition, the U.S. government is actively seeking to end the country’s reliance on foreign REE sources, and the Company believes that its constructive relationship with key regulatory agencies and the relative stability of U.S. policies provide it with an advantage relative to non-U.S. REE producers.

The global effort to curb carbon emissions and address climate change often focuses on the impact of the transportation system. The Company believes that its products will play a large role in advancing those efforts. To date, nearly all U.S. states and the District of Columbia have mandated or offer incentives to support deployment of xEVs or alternative fuel vehicles and supporting infrastructure, either through state legislation or private utility incentives within the state, with similar mandates and incentives in other countries globally. Additionally, on August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which, among other things, provides several tax incentives to promote clean energy adoption, including tax credits on the purchase of xEVs and the production of certain critical minerals such as NdPr oxide. The NdPr oxide that the Company began producing in the third quarter of 2023 at Mountain Pass is essential to the permanent magnet motor technology deployed in a significant majority of current xEVs.

In addition, the Company believes end consumers will demand that the materials used to build these vehicles be extracted sustainably. MP Materials is committed to environmental responsibility. The Company’s environmental management plans cover biodiversity impacts, waste and noise management, air and water pollution, water extraction and discharge, as well as natural resource disturbance and toxic chemical usage. The Company believes this commitment to responsible production of REO is a strong competitive advantage.

A confluence of geopolitical and economic factors is causing downstream customers, such as automotive original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”), to be increasingly focused on supply risk, highlighting the need to develop domestic production of REE and related products. To meet the growth in demand for xEVs, the Company believes automotive OEMs will redesign their supply chains to ensure a ready and stable supply of rare earth products as they transition their facilities to build electric vehicle components. MP Materials aims to capitalize on and accelerate this opportunity by seeking to partner with current and future customers in their efforts to re-position the capital and labor in their supply chain and to meet the growth in electrification.

The success of the Company’s business reflects its ability to manage its costs. The Company’s production achievements in Stage I have provided economies of scale to lower production costs per unit of REO produced in concentrate. Furthermore, Stage II was designed to enable the Company to continue to manage its cost structure for separating REE through an optimized facility process flow. Despite the initial phase of NdPr oxide production leading to elevated per-unit costs, the Company anticipates a decrease in per-unit production costs over time as production volumes expand.

Optimization of logistics is also central to maintaining a low-cost position relative to other global producers. Mountain Pass, located immediately adjacent to Interstate 15 and within a one-hour drive of a major railhead and a four-hour drive of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, offers transportation advantages that create meaningful cost efficiencies in securing incoming supplies and shipping its final products. Upon achieving the designed throughput of separated products, the Company’s integrated site will incur lower costs of packaging, handling and transportation as compared to competitors who lack co-located processing.

Further the Company’s mission and ability to capture the full rare earth value chain through downstream integration into rare earth magnet production.

The Company is currently pursuing vertical integration through further downstream processing of REO into finished magnet products and precursor materials, and incorporating process waste and end-of-life magnet recycling. The Company intends to accomplish this through a buy, build and/or joint venture strategy to achieve technical and cost leadership. The Company is developing a greenfield metal, alloy and magnet manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, with GM as a foundational customer. The Company intends to continue exploring future opportunities to invest in, develop, and/or sponsor new downstream opportunities for REO and rare earth products that contribute to the electrification of the industrial economy.

The Company intends

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to apply its experience and skill sets across the critical minerals and related value chain, while allocating capital effectively and responsibly, toward opportunities demonstrated to be in the best interest of its stockholders and consistent with its mission.

Human Capital Resources

The people of MP Materials are the Company’s most valuable asset in fulfilling the Company’s mission. At the core of the Company’s success is the relentless pursuit to maintain and nurture an owner-operator culture that instills an entrepreneurial spirit where its employees feel motivated and empowered to deliver results through an unwavering commitment to doing what is right in a safe environment. Throughout 2023, in living up to the owner-operator culture, all employees received a time-vested equity grant at the time of joining the Company. The Company believes equity ownership reinforces the employees’ sense of their contribution to the Company’s success.

Ensuring the Company attracts, develops and retains top talent across all functions with diverse experiences, backgrounds and perspectives is critical to the Company’s success. An employee retention rate of 95% or higher, which was achieved in every calendar quarter during 2023, continues to demonstrate the Company’s priorities of ensuring its team is healthy, incentivized, proud to work for MP Materials, and believes in the Company’s mission.

Employees

Since relaunching production at Mountain Pass in July 2017, the Company has increased its full-time equivalent (“FTE”) employee base from eight contractors in 2017 to 681 employees as of December 31, 2023, of which approximately 81% were field-based employees. This represents a 40% increase of FTE employees in 2023, on top of a 33% increase in 2022. None of the Company’s employees are subject to any collective bargaining agreements. The Company is committed to creating employment opportunities for U.S. workers, and with the completion of the initial commissioning of Stage II, the Company has added approximately 200 employees over the past two years. In addition, the Company has hired 32 employees at its Fort Worth Facility in 2023 and plans for at least 100 additional full-time employees as part of Stage III.

Health, Safety and Well-Being

The health, safety, and well-being of the Company’s employees, suppliers and communities are a priority, with “Safety” being one of the Company’s six core values, along with “Empowerment,” “Entrepreneurship,” “Integrity,” “Results,” and “Unwavering” effort. To ensure the ongoing safety of employees and any contractors working on-site, the Company has a clear set of health and safety guidelines in place and routinely conducts general as well as equipment- and process-specific safety training.

All newly-hired employees at Mountain Pass complete a minimum of 24 hours of Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”) training during the onboarding process and must, at a minimum, complete annual refresher training. Following their initial training, depending on their job classification, new employees complete targeted online and supervised field training specific to their roles and responsibilities. For example, operations and maintenance workers go through specific Lock Out/Tag Out/Try Out training, confined-space work and rescue, forklift classroom, and in-the-field training. In total, during 2023, the Company’s employees completed over 22,000 hours of new hire and/or annual refresher training and 1,600 hours of emergency medical response training, including first aid and CPR.

The Company utilizes a formalized digital data reporting system to track all incidents reportable to the California Occupational Health and Safety Administration and MSHA. The Company tracks lost time injuries, recordable injuries, recordable injury rates, and near-miss reports. MP Materials strongly encourages the reporting of near-miss incidents so that it can mitigate hazards or change procedures to improve workforce safety in advance of any actual incident. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had completed over 1,300 days without a lost-time injury.

Diversity, Inclusion and Meritocracy

MP Materials believes that a diverse, inclusive and meritocratic workforce and Board of Directors produces better overall decision-making for employees, which benefits the organization. In addition to hiring employees with requisite skills, the Company has taken steps and will continue to strive to assemble a diverse and inclusive workforce. As of December 31, 2023, based on employees’ self-reporting, veterans and women represented 4% and 17%, respectively, of the Company’s workforce and 21% of managerial or supervisory positions were occupied by women. As of December 31, 2023, women represented 28%

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of the Company’s Board of Directors. Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, 49% of the Company’s workforce was composed of underrepresented minorities.

Employee Engagement and Development

Employee engagement efforts are critical in ensuring all employees feel heard, respected and valued, and that applicable actions are taken when feedback is received. In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company achieved professional certification for its engagement efforts, and will continue its focus on providing opportunities for employees to interact with executive management through events such as virtual town hall sessions, family days and routine stand-up briefings.

Methodical execution is key to ensuring Company goals are achieved and exceeded. To ensure the Company’s employees receive the feedback they need to grow and thrive in their careers, MP Materials continually reviews and updates its performance-management processes. The Company ensures that new hires receive the feedback and support they need by scheduling periodic performance evaluations three to six months after their introductory periods. Managers hold reviews with all employees no less than annually to give them an opportunity to discuss work performance. This performance management process, rooted in the values of the organization, sets the foundation for applicable goal setting, individual development plans and career pathways going forward.

The training starts on an employee’s first day with on-boarding procedures that focus on safety, responsibility, ethical conduct and inclusive teamwork. In addition, the Company has partnered with educational institutions, governmental authorities and strategic outside organizations to further enhance and improve access to the talent required to advance the Company’s mission. The Company also has an electrical and instrumentation apprenticeship program that pays for employees to attend trade school to increase their opportunity for future advancement.

Sustainability and Natural Resources

The Company’s business provides a key input to carbon-reducing technologies critical for the transition to a low-carbon economy. Further, MP Materials is solving for the foreign-controlled overconcentration of the rare earth supply while helping to enable a more sustainable future. Sustainability at MP Materials means much more than maintaining environmentally conscious operations; it means caring for the health, safety, and well-being of our employees; encouraging a spirit of joint ownership, entrepreneurship, and continuous growth; supporting the communities that surround us; and operating with integrity. The Company recognizes that it has a responsibility to operate as efficiently as possible to reduce emissions.

The Company believes Mountain Pass is the world’s cleanest and most environmentally sustainable rare earth production facility. Producing rare earth materials requires significant energy and resources and can lead to environmental challenges if not carefully managed. MP Materials understands that our natural resources, such as water, are precious and limited. As such, the Company is committed to limiting resource consumption, increasing efficiency, and achieving as light of an environmental footprint as possible. The Company does this, in part, by investing in water recycling, reducing reagent usage, implementing energy reduction initiatives, and utilizing a dry stack tailings process.

The Company’s tailings and concentrate dewatering methods provide a closed-loop water resource for its beneficiation process satisfying approximately 95% of those processes’ water needs at Mountain Pass. The Company also has a variety of initiatives underway at Mountain Pass to limit freshwater withdrawal and maximize recycling. In addition, the Company remains focused on ensuring the most efficient use of energy to minimize hydrocarbon consumption and greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions.

The materials that the Company produces are essential to the supply chains for many technologies that help decarbonize the global economy, improve productivity in the workforce, and better the lives of many. Without MP Materials’ conscientiously-mined materials, not only will the future of low-carbon technologies depend on more highly polluting traditional production methods, but the advanced research and development related to these vital applications and their manufacturing will continue to follow that supply overseas. MP Materials is restoring the resource independence of the U.S.— removing the single point-of-failure in the supply chain for these products and ensuring that American industry can determine its own future in the automotive, robotics, aerospace, renewable energy, and information technologies industries.

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Customers

Currently, the Company sells the vast majority of its rare earth concentrate to Shenghe Resources (Singapore) International Trading Pte. Ltd. (“Shenghe”) under the terms of the Offtake Agreement, which became effective in March 2022. Shenghe is an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Shenghe Resources Holding Co., Ltd., a leading global rare earth company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Under the Offtake Agreement, Shenghe is contractually obligated to purchase the Company’s rare earth concentrate product meeting certain minimum specifications as the exclusive distributor in China on a “take-or-pay” basis (such that they are obliged to pay for product even if they are unable or unwilling to take delivery), with certain exceptions for the Company’s direct sales globally. Shenghe then sells the rare earth concentrate it acquires to customers in China for processing into refined products. In addition, at the discretion of the Company, Shenghe may be required to purchase on a “take-or-pay” basis certain non-concentrate rare earth products, although the Company may sell all non-concentrate rare earth products in its sole discretion to customers or end users in any jurisdiction. The Company also regularly enters into short- and long-term sales contracts with other customers for the sale of its rare earth concentrate.

In January 2024, the Company entered into a new offtake agreement with Shenghe (the “New Offtake Agreement”), that replaced and extended the Offtake Agreement. The initial term of the New Offtake Agreement is two years, with the option for the Company to extend the term for an additional one-year period. The terms of the New Offtake Agreement are substantially the same as those of the Offtake Agreement with the exception of the addition of NdPr metal into the definition of non-concentrate rare earth products.

In February 2023, the Company entered into a distributorship agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”) with Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (“Sumitomo”), under which Sumitomo serves as the exclusive distributor of the NdPr oxide and NdPr metal produced by the Company to Japanese customers. The initial term of the Distribution Agreement extends through the end of 2025 with options to renew annually. The Company intends to enter into other short- and long-term sales contracts with existing and new customers for separated rare earth products.

In April 2022, as discussed above, the Company entered into a long-term agreement with GM to supply magnets and related products manufactured at the Fort Worth Facility. The Company is also pursuing sales opportunities to other customers for its future magnet products.

Suppliers

The Company uses certain proprietary chemical reagents in its flotation process, which it currently purchases from third-party suppliers. The hydrometallurgy, separations, and product finishing processes are reliant upon certain commodity reagents.

Patents, Trademarks and Licenses

The Company relies on a combination of trade secret protection, nondisclosure and licensing agreements, patents and trademarks to establish and protect its proprietary intellectual property rights.

Competition

The rare earth mining and processing markets are capital intensive and highly competitive. With continued state-sponsored consolidation, there remain two major rare earth groups in China. These groups and their affiliates control (and/or allocate to unaffiliated third parties) substantially all of China’s quota for concentrate production and rare earth refining. Outside of China, there are few other producers operating at scale, with processing capabilities located in Australia and Malaysia.

Environmental and Regulatory Matters

The Company is subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental laws, certifications, regulations, permits, and other legal requirements applicable to the mining and mineral processing industry, including, without limitation, those pertaining to employee health and safety, air quality standards and emissions, water usage, wastewater and stormwater discharges, GHG emissions, hazardous and radioactive and other waste management, storage and handling of naturally occurring radioactive material, plant and wildlife protection, remediation of contamination, land use, reclamation and restoration of properties, procurement of certain materials used in the Company’s operations, groundwater quality and the use of explosives. Environmental laws and regulation continue to evolve which may require the Company to meet stricter standards and give rise to greater enforcement, result in increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, and result in a heightened

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degree of responsibility for companies and their officers, directors and employees. Future laws, regulations, permits or legal requirements, as well as the interpretation or enforcement of existing requirements, may require substantial increases in capital or operating costs to achieve and maintain compliance or otherwise delay, limit or prohibit operations, or other restrictions upon the Company’s current or future operations, or result in the imposition of fines and penalties for failure to comply.

Information About Our Executive Officers

The persons serving as executive officers of MP Materials and their positions with the Company are as follows:

James H. Litinsky. Mr. Litinsky is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MP Materials. Mr. Litinsky is also the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of JHL Capital Group LLC (“JHL”), an alternative investment management firm. Before founding JHL in 2006, he was a member of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund at Fortress Investment Group. Prior to Fortress, he was a Director of Finance at Omnicom Group, and he worked as a merchant banker at Allen & Company. Mr. Litinsky received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, cum laude, and a J.D./M.B.A. from the Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar. Mr. Litinsky also serves as a member of the Boards of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Michael Rosenthal. Mr. Rosenthal is a Founder and the Chief Operating Officer of MP Materials. He has managed the Mountain Pass operation since the Company acquired the site in 2017. Before MP Materials, he was a Partner at QVT Financial (“QVT”), an investment management firm. At QVT, Mr. Rosenthal concentrated on investments in the global automotive sector and in China. Prior to joining QVT, he worked as a senior high yield credit analyst for Shenkman Capital Management. Mr. Rosenthal graduated from Duke University with an A.B. degree in Economics and Comparative Area Studies.

Ryan Corbett. Mr. Corbett joined MP Materials as its Chief Financial Officer in 2019. Prior to joining MP Materials, he was a Managing Director at JHL, where he focused on JHL’s investment in MP Materials. Before JHL, Mr. Corbett was a member of alternative asset managers Brahman Capital Corp. and King Street Capital Management LP, both based in New York, where he focused on special situations investments across the capital structure. Mr. Corbett began his career in investment banking and corporate finance at Morgan Stanley & Co. after graduating magna cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Finance.

Elliot Hoops. Mr. Hoops joined MP Materials as its General Counsel and Secretary in May 2021. Prior to joining MP Materials, he was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Penn National Gaming, Inc. (now known as PENN Entertainment, Inc. (“PENN”)), a regional gaming company, from January 2019 to May 2021, where he was responsible for a variety of legal matters, including commercial transactions, financings, corporate governance, securities law and gaming regulatory compliance. Prior to joining PENN, he was Vice President and Legal Counsel at Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (“Pinnacle”), a regional gaming company (which was acquired by PENN), from June 2007 to October 2018. Prior to Pinnacle, he was an associate at Holland and Knight LLP and an attorney advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Mr. Hoops received his B.A. in English from the University of Michigan, J.D. from the University of Miami, and LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Available Information

The Company’s website is located at www.mpmaterials.com. The information contained on its website, or accessible from its website, is not incorporated into, and should not be considered part

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of, this Form 10‑K or any other documents the Company files with, or furnishes to, the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

mpmaterials.com/overview), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. The Company uses these channels as well as social media to communicate with its stockholders and the public about the Company, its services and other issues.

Other

The Company was incorporated on January 24, 2020, as a Delaware corporation under the name “Fortress Value Acquisition Corp.” (“FVAC”) and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. On November 17, 2020, the Company consummated the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 15, 2020, as amended on August 26, 2020 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among FVAC, certain direct wholly-owned subsidiaries of FVAC, MP Mine Operations LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“MPMO”), which owns the Mountain Pass mine and processing facilities, and Secure Natural Resources LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“SNR”), which holds the mineral rights to the Mountain Pass mine and surrounding areas as well as intellectual property rights related to the processing and development of rare earth minerals.”

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. If any of the events or developments described below occur, our business, prospects, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially or adversely affected. As a result, the market price of our common stock could decline, and investors could lose all or part of their investment. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only risks and uncertainties that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. The risks discussed below also include forward-looking statements, and our actual results may differ substantially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above.

Risk Factor Summary

Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted immediately following this summary. Some of these risks are:

•We may be adversely affected by fluctuations in demand for, and prices of, REE and magnet materials.

•The success of our business will depend, in part, on the growth of existing and emerging uses for rare earth products.

•An increase in the global supply of rare earth products, dumping, predatory pricing and other tactics designed to inhibit our further downstream integration by our competitors may materially adversely affect our profitability.

•We operate in a highly competitive industry.

•Our ability to generate revenue will be diminished if we are unable to compete with substitutions for our rare earth materials.

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•Changes in China’s political environment and policies, including changes in export policy or the interpretation of China’s export policy and policy on rare earths production or the import of rare earth feedstock, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

•The production of rare earth products is a capital-intensive business that requires the commitment of substantial resources; if we do not have sufficient resources to provide for such production, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

•

•The production of magnet materials in Stage III is dependent upon our ability to complete the buildout of our Fort Worth Facility; an unanticipated delay in the completion of Stage III could have a material adverse effect on our ability to produce magnets.

•If we infringe, or are accused of infringing, the intellectual property rights of third parties, it may increase our costs or prevent us from being able to commercialize new products.

•We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights. If we fail to adequately enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, our business may be harmed.

•If we are unable to perform the obligations under our long-term supply agreement with GM, this could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

•We may not be able to convert current commercial discussions with customers for the sale of REO products into contracts, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

•We may not successfully establish or maintain collaborative, joint venture and licensing arrangements, which could adversely affect our ability to vertically integrate into further downstream processing of our REO.

•Outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics could have an adverse effect on our business.

•We are subject to a number of operational risks of our business, including power outages or shortages at the Mountain Pass facility; increasing costs or limited access to raw materials; disruptions in transportation or other services; inability to process REO that meet individual customer specifications; access to water; uncertainty in our estimates of REO reserves; labor matters/labor relations; cybersecurity breaches; and/or environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters.

•We are subject to regulatory and business risks associated with our investment in VREX Holdco Pte. Ltd. (“VREX Holdco”).

•The conditional conversion feature of our Convertible Notes (as defined in Note 10, “Debt Obligations” in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements), if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

•Conversion of our Convertible Notes may dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders or may otherwise depress the price of our common stock.

•Certain provisions in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes may delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial takeover attempt of us.

•Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our debt.

Risks Relating to our Business and Industry

We may be adversely affected by fluctuations in demand for, and prices of, REE and magnet materials.

Because our revenue is, and will be for the foreseeable future, from the sale of rare earth products, changes in demand for, and the market price of, and taxes and other tariffs and fees imposed upon REE and magnet materials could significantly affect our profitability. For example, as a result of the decrease in the market price of NdPr oxide in 2023, our Realized Price per REO MT (as defined in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations) decreased from $11,974 for the year ended December 31, 2022, to $6,854 for the year ended December 31, 2023, which negatively impacted our results of operations and cash flows.

REE and magnet material prices may fluctuate and are affected by numerous factors beyond our control such as interest rates, exchange rates, taxes, inflation or deflation, fluctuation in the relative value of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies

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on the world market, shipping and other transportation and logistics costs, global and regional supply and demand for rare earth minerals and products, potential industry trends, such as competitor consolidation or other integration methodologies, and the political and economic conditions of countries that produce and procure REE and magnet materials. Furthermore, supply side factors have a significant influence on price volatility for REE and magnet materials. The Chinese Central Government regulates production via quotas and environmental standards, and, to a lesser extent, regulation of imports, and has and may continue to change such production quotas, environmental standards, and import regulations.

A prolonged or significant economic contraction in the U.S., China, or worldwide could put downward pressure on market prices of REE and magnet materials. This could cause substantial reductions to, or a suspension of, REO production operations, impair asset values and reduce our proven and probable rare earth ore reserves.

Demand for our products may be impacted by demand for downstream products incorporating rare earths, including hybrid and electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical equipment, military equipment and other high-growth, advanced motion technologies, as well as demand in the general automotive and electronics industries. Lack of growth in these markets may adversely affect the demand for our products.

In contrast, extended periods of high commodity prices may create economic dislocations that may be destabilizing to REE and magnet material supply and demand and ultimately to the broader markets. However, strong REE prices also create economic pressure to identify or create alternate technologies that ultimately could depress long-term demand for rare earth minerals and products, and at the same time may incentivize development of competing mining properties.

The success of our business will depend, in part, on the growth of existing and emerging uses for rare earth products.

If the market for these critical existing and emerging technologies does not grow as we expect, grows more slowly than we expect, or if the demand for our products in these markets decreases, then our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be harmed. In addition, the market for these technologies, particularly in the automotive industry, tends to be cyclical, which exposes us to increased volatility, and it is uncertain as to how such macroeconomic factors will impact our business.

An increase in the global supply of rare earth products, dumping, predatory pricing and other tactics designed to inhibit our further downstream integration by our competitors may materially adversely affect our profitability.

China accounts for the significant majority of global separated REO production and also dominates the manufacture of metals and NdFeB magnets from rare earths, capabilities that are not currently present in the U.S. Over the past few years, there has been significant restructuring of the Chinese rare earth production industry, further centralizing control over production by state-owned enterprises. Chinese competitors may engage in predatory pricing or other behaviors designed to inhibit our further downstream integration. Any increase in the amount of rare earth products exported from other nations and increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced margins or loss of potential market share, any of which could materially adversely affect our profitability. As a result of these factors, we may not be able to compete effectively against current and future competitors.

We operate in a highly competitive industry.

These competitors may have greater financial resources, as well as other strategic advantages to operate, maintain, improve and possibly expand their facilities. Additionally, our Chinese competitors have historically been able to produce at relatively low costs due to domestic economic and regulatory factors, including less stringent environmental and governmental regulations and lower labor and

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benefit costs. If we are not able to achieve consistent product quality at our anticipated costs of production, then any strategic advantages that our competitors may have over us, including, without limitation, lower labor, compliance and production costs, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Industry consolidation may result in increased competition, which could result in a reduction in revenue.

Some of our competitors have made, or may make, acquisitions or enter into partnerships or other strategic relationships to achieve competitive advantages. In addition, new entrants not currently considered competitors may enter our market through acquisitions, partnerships or strategic relationships. We expect these trends to continue as demand for rare earth materials increases. Industry consolidation may result in competitors with more compelling product offerings or greater pricing flexibility than we have, or business practices that make it more difficult for us to compete effectively, including on the basis of price, sales, technology or supply. For example, in December 2021, China merged three state entities to establish the China Rare Earth Group Co. Ltd (“China Rare Earth Group”), that will account for more than half of China’s heavy rare earths supplies. China Rare Earth Group will have enhanced pricing power of key rare earths, such as dysprosium and terbium, which will likely bring changes to the global rare earth supply chain. These competitive pressures could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our ability to generate revenue will be diminished if we are unable to compete with substitutions for our rare earth materials.

Technology changes rapidly in the industries and end markets that utilize our materials.

We currently sell the vast majority of our rare earth concentrate to Shenghe, which typically sells that product to refiners in China. Demand for rare earth concentrate is currently constrained to a relatively limited number of refiners, a significant majority of which are based in China. While Shenghe is obligated under the Offtake Agreement to purchase all of the rare earth concentrate product meeting certain minimum specifications on a “take-or-pay” basis (such that they are obliged to pay for product even if they are unable or unwilling to take delivery), we cannot guarantee that Shenghe will continue to purchase all of the products that it is contractually bound to purchase or that they will purchase products that do not meet these specifications. In January 2024, the Company entered into the New Offtake Agreement that replaced and extended the Offtake Agreement. The initial term of the New Offtake Agreement is two years, with the option for the Company to extend the term for an additional one-year period. The terms of the New Offtake Agreement are substantially the same as those of the Offtake Agreement with the exception of the addition of NdPr metal into the definition of non-concentrate rare earth products.

Therefore, any decline or delay in Shenghe’s sales efforts could reduce sales prices or sales volumes, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

Changes in China’s political environment and policies, including changes in export policy or the interpretation of China’s export policy and policy on rare earths production or the import of rare earth feedstock, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our sales may be adversely affected by the current and future political environment in China and the policies of the China Central Government. Our ability to sell products to customers in China or obtain materials from suppliers in China may be adversely affected by changes in Chinese laws and regulations, including those relating to

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taxation, import and export tariffs and regulations, raw materials, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The U.S. Government has instituted substantial changes to foreign trade policy with China and has assessed punitive tariffs on many categories of Chinese goods. China has retaliated with increased tariffs on U.S. goods. Any further changes in U.S. trade policy could trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries, including China, resulting in trade wars. Any changes in U.S. and China relations, including through changes in policies by the Chinese government, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, including changes in laws, regulations or the interpretation thereof, confiscatory taxation, governmental royalties, restrictions on currency conversion, imports or sources of supplies, or the expropriation or nationalization of private enterprises.

If we incur a significant amount of freight charges, our gross profit will be negatively affected if we are unable to pass on those charges to customers. In addition, we may be adversely affected by the need to ship to alternative ports. This could lead to potential delays in the transportation of our goods, which may occur for any reason or as they are affected by domestic or international laws and regulations, taxation, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, customs and other relevant factors.

The production of rare earth products is a capital-intensive business that requires the commitment of substantial resources; if we do not have sufficient resources to provide for such production, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Our ability to reach anticipated production rates as part of our Stage II project at Mountain Pass, the completion of our Stage III project, as well as the execution of other capital projects such as the HREE Facility, all require the commitment of substantial resources and capital expenditures. Our estimated expenses may increase for a variety of factors, including as a result of inflationary pressures in the U.S. The progress, the amounts and timing of expenditures and the success of these projects will depend in part on the following: (a) the ability of the Stage II facilities to separate REO as designed and engineered; (b) our ability to timely produce metal at the metal processing plant and related facilities in Vietnam under our tolling agreement with VREX Holdco (the “Tolling Agreement”); (c) our ability to timely procure new equipment and materials, certain of which may involve long lead-times, or to repair existing equipment; (d) the ability of service providers or vendors to meet contractually-negotiated delivery or completion deadlines or meet performance specifications or guarantees; (e) maintaining, and procuring, as required, applicable federal, state and local permits; (f) the incorporation of project change orders, due to engineering, process, health and safety, or other considerations; (g) negotiating contracts for equipment, earthwork, construction, equipment installation, labor and completing infrastructure and construction work following commissioning; (h) impact of planned and unplanned shut-downs and delays in our production; (i) impact of stoppages or delays on construction projects; (j) disputes with contractors or other third parties; (k) negotiating sales and offtake contracts for our planned production; (l) the execution of any joint venture agreements or similar arrangements with strategic partners; and (m) other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Most of these activities require significant lead times and must be advanced concurrently.

Our only rare earth mining and processing facility at this time is Mountain Pass. Our continued growth is based on reaching anticipated production rates for the separation of REE in accordance with our expected timeframe.

The production of magnet materials in Stage III is dependent upon our ability to complete the buildout of our Fort Worth Facility; an unanticipated delay in the completion of Stage III could have a material adverse effect on our ability to produce magnets.

In February 2022, we commenced construction of our initial rare earth metal, alloy and magnet manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, in support of our Stage III initiatives. The building portion of the Fort Worth Facility was completed in 2023. However, the Fort Worth Facility requires substantial capital for equipment purchases, installation, and commissioning,

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and there may be unanticipated costs or delays associated with these activities. In addition, our ability to reach our full revenue potential will be dependent on our ability to finish the buildout of our Fort Worth Facility and commence the production of magnet materials. Our proposed timeline for producing magnet materials is based on certain estimates and assumptions we have made about our business over the next few years, including reaching anticipated production rates for the separation of REE and the ability to obtain equipment on a timely basis from third party vendors.

If we infringe, or are accused of infringing, the intellectual property rights of third parties, it may increase our costs or prevent us from being able to commercialize new products.

There is a risk that we may infringe, or may be accused of infringing, the proprietary rights of third parties under patents and pending patent applications belonging to third parties that may exist in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world that relate to our rare earth products and processes, including our planned future production of magnet materials in Stage III. Because the patent application process can take several years to complete, there may be currently pending applications that may later result in issued patents that cover our products and processes. In addition, our products and processes may infringe existing patents.

If third parties are successful in their claims, we might have to pay substantial damages or take other actions that are adverse to our business. As a result of intellectual property infringement claims, or to avoid potential claims, we might:

•be prohibited from, or delayed in, selling rare earth products, including magnet materials, or licensing some of our products or using some of our processes unless the patent holder licenses the patent to us, which it is not required to do;

•be required to pay substantial royalties or grant a cross license to our patents to another patent holder; or

•be required to redesign a product or process so it does not infringe a third party’s patent, which may not be possible or could require substantial funds and time.

In addition, we could be subject to claims that our employees, or we, have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of third parties.

If we are unable to resolve claims that may be brought against us by third parties related to their intellectual property rights on terms acceptable to us, we may be precluded from offering some of our products or using some of our processes.

We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights. If we fail to adequately enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, our business may be harmed.

Much of the technology used in the markets in which we compete is protected by patents and trade secrets, and our commercial success will depend in significant part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and trade secret protection for our products and methods. To compete in these markets, we rely on a combination of trade secret protection, nondisclosure and licensing agreements, patents and trademarks to establish and protect our proprietary intellectual property rights, including our proprietary rare earth production processes that are not patented. Our intellectual property rights may be challenged or infringed upon by third parties, or we may be unable to maintain, renew or enter into new license agreements with third-party owners of intellectual property on reasonable terms. In addition, our intellectual property may be subject to infringement or other unauthorized use outside of the U.S. In such case, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights by legal recourse or otherwise may be limited, particularly in countries where laws or enforcement practices are undeveloped or do not recognize or protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the U.S. Unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights or our inability to preserve existing intellectual property rights could adversely impact our competitive position and results of operations. The loss of our patents could reduce the value of the related products. In addition, the cost to litigate infringements of our patents, or the cost to defend ourselves against patent infringement actions by others, could be substantial and, if incurred, could materially affect our business and financial condition.

Proprietary trade secrets and unpatented know-how are also very important to our business. We rely on trade secrets to protect certain aspects of our technology, especially where we do not believe that patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. Our employees, consultants, contractors, outside scientific collaborators and other advisors may unintentionally or willfully disclose our confidential information to competitors, and confidentiality

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agreements may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential or proprietary information. It is expensive and time consuming, with no certain outcome, to pursue a claim that a third party illegally obtained and is using our trade secrets. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how. Failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

We may not be able to obtain additional patents and the legal protection afforded by any additional patents may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage.

Our ability to obtain additional patents is uncertain and the legal protection afforded by these patents is limited and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage. Changes in either patent laws or interpretations of patent laws in the U.S. or elsewhere may diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection. Even if patents are issued regarding our products and processes, our competitors may challenge the validity of those patents. Patents also will not protect our products and processes if competitors devise ways of making products without infringing our patents.

If we are unable to perform the obligations under our long-term supply agreement with GM, this could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

We entered into a binding long-term supply agreement with GM. Our ability to fulfil the obligations under our long-term agreement with GM to supply them with magnet materials is subject to a number of risks and contingencies. We are embarking on building the first scaled rare earth magnet manufacturing facility in the U.S. in several decades. While we will be relying on a number of experienced engineers and other third parties in the design, engineering and construction of the Fort Worth Facility, we will be making a number of judgments and assumptions on process design, equipment selection and design, and plant operations, that may or may not prove to be correct. Design, engineering or construction delays may impair our ability to perform under our long-term supply agreement with GM. In addition, we will need to procure the necessary equipment and materials needed to produce magnets and their precursor materials, some of which may be difficult to obtain. There can be no assurance that such equipment and materials will be procured on time or not be delayed due to circumstances beyond our control.

Further, we will need to hire a sufficient number of engineers, operators and other professionals to successfully design and operate the Fort Worth Facility. It may be difficult for us to hire employees with the experience, education and skills needed to produce magnet materials, and we may need to hire employees from other countries if we cannot recruit employees in the U.S. We will also face competition for these employees.

There can be no assurance that, following the completion of construction of the Fort Worth Facility, we will obtain the equipment and materials needed and hire the necessary employees in order to successfully produce magnet materials at the volumes and quality necessary to meet the requirements under our long-term supply agreement with GM. In the event that we are not able to mitigate these risks and fail to comply with the terms of the agreement with GM, this could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

We may not be able to convert current commercial discussions with customers for the sale of REO products into contracts, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

However, there can be no assurance that these customers will enter into sales contracts for REO. The failure to enter into such contracts may have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

We may not successfully establish or maintain collaborative, joint venture and licensing arrangements, which could adversely affect our ability to vertically integrate into further downstream processing of our REO.

To implement this vertical integration strategy successfully, we may need to

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license certain intellectual property related to these downstream processes and/or develop the ability, or collaborate with, purchase, or form a joint venture with existing participants in the metal, alloy, and magnet production supply chain. In addition, other licenses that may be necessary for some of these downstream processing steps have not yet been obtained. Any failure to establish or maintain collaborative, joint venture or licensing arrangements for the production of downstream products on favorable terms could adversely affect our business prospects, financial condition or ability to develop and commercialize downstream rare earth products.

Outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics could have an adverse effect on our business.

Outbreaks of infectious diseases, epidemics or pandemics can significantly impact the national and global economy and commodity and financial markets. Impacts may include, among other things, extreme volatility in financial markets, a slowdown in economic activity, extreme volatility in commodity prices and a global recession. Outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics may lead to significant restrictions on travel, temporary business closures, quarantines, and a general reduction in consumer activity and sentiment globally and may impact our business and operations by, among others, increasing the cost of operations, causing shipping delays, reducing employee productivity, limiting travel of our personnel, adversely affecting the health and welfare of our personnel, or preventing or delaying important third-party service providers from performing normal and contracted activities crucial to the operation of our business.

Decisions beyond our control, such as canceled events, restricted travel, barriers to entry, temporary closures or limited availability of county, state or federal government agencies, or other factors may affect our ability to perform mining operations, corporate activities, and other actions that would normally be accomplished without such limitations. The extent to which an outbreak, epidemic or pandemic will impact our operations, our business and the economy is highly uncertain and will also depend on future developments that cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the disease, the duration and spread of the outbreak, including the spread of variants, the scope of travel restrictions imposed, mandatory or voluntary business closures, the impact on businesses and financial and capital markets, and the extent and effectiveness of actions taken throughout the world to contain the virus or treat its impact, including the effectiveness and availability of vaccines.

Our facilities at Mountain Pass are currently powered by a natural gas-powered combined heat and power (“CHP”) plant that produces electricity and steam and eliminates reliance on the regional electric power grid. Operation of the CHP plant is necessary to support the entire energy demand of Stage II. While we believe that the CHP plant will provide sufficient electricity and steam to operate our facilities at Mountain Pass, there can be no assurance that there will not be intermittent interruptions in the ability to produce electricity and steam. Instability in electrical supply could cause sporadic outages or brownouts. Any such outages or brownouts could have a negative impact on our production. If the CHP plant is unable to provide sufficient energy for the operation of Mountain Pass or if additional growth projects require energy needs in excess of CHP capacity, we may be required to obtain electricity from a single utility company in Southern California. We could incur higher operating costs, remain subject to the effects of occasional grid power outages and brownouts, and could experience temporary interruptions of processing operations. As a result, our revenue could be adversely impacted and our relationships with our customers could suffer, adversely impacting our ability to generate future revenue and otherwise perform our contractual obligations.

Increasing costs or limited access to raw materials may adversely affect our profitability.

Though we may enter into long-term purchase agreements, chemical reagents sourced from third parties may be subject to significant volatility in cost and availability. In addition, third parties may not honor their agreements with us and/or declare force majeure, and as a result, we may need to obtain such chemical reagents from other parties at higher costs and expense and there may be a delay in obtaining such chemical reagents. Further, supply chains reliant on sea vessels, train, and/or truck may subject us to transportation delays in obtaining these chemical reagents. We also may not be able to store such chemical reagents without incurring substantial costs. The Mountain Pass site includes a currently idle chlor-alkali facility that may be restarted in the future to produce hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, and sodium hypochlorite. There can be no assurance that we will be able to purchase the necessary chemical reagents from third parties on

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terms that are acceptable to us.

At times during 2021 and 2022, there was a backlog of container ships off the coast of Southern California that delayed shipments in and out of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the ports that we use to ship our rare earth concentrate product. While we managed to mitigate these intermittent delays in shipping rare earth concentrate product through these ports, our ability to continue to maintain stable shipments may be impacted if port delays due to congestion return or worsen.

In addition, we will in the future need to transport our products to our future customers and our tollers wherever they may be located. Labor disputes, embargoes, government restrictions, work stoppages, pandemics, derailments, damage or loss events, adverse weather conditions, other environmental events, seasonal changes in supply and demand for transportation, changes to rail or ocean freight systems, domestic or international laws or regulations, permits or other approvals, or other events and activities beyond our control could interrupt or limit available transport services, which could result in customer dissatisfaction and loss of sales and could materially adversely affect our results of operations. Such events and conditions, including flooding and other natural disasters, could also impact the facilities of our customers which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to deliver our product to our customers.

We will need to process REE to exacting specifications in order to provide future customers with a consistently high-quality product.

We have limited experience operating our Stage II assets. In the event that certain equipment fails to consistently perform as designed or we are unable to maintain consistent uptime, we may struggle to meet individual customer specifications, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, customer needs and specifications may change with time. Any delay or failure in developing processes to meet changing customer needs and specifications may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Diminished access to water may adversely affect our operations.

Processing of REO requires significant amounts of water. The technology we currently use to beneficiate REO is a sustainable process with dry tailings that limits the need for fresh water usage. Although we believe our current process is sustainable, any disruption in the process could prompt the need for significant access to fresh water. Additionally, with the commencement of Stage II operations, we require an even greater amount of water for our CHP plant, separation and extraction processes, and product finishing operations, including significant demand for highly-pure water. We maintain and operate one water supply well field for potable and process water and own land and wells in another water supply well field that we may be able to operate in the future. In addition, significant volumes of water are recycled from process brine to reduce ground water usage.

We face regulatory and business risks associated with our investment in VREX Holdco.

We own a minority interest in VREX Holdco, a Singapore company. An entity affiliated with Shenghe is the majority shareholder of VREX Holdco. VREX Holdco owns Vietnam Rare Earth Company Limited (“VREX”), which owns and operates a metal processing plant and related facilities in Vietnam. As a minority shareholder of VREX Holdco, our ability to control the management, record-keeping, operations and decision-making of VREX Holdco is limited.

VREX Holdco’s operations are subject to the significant business, economic, regulatory and competitive uncertainties and contingencies frequently encountered by new businesses and other risks, many of which are beyond VREX Holdco’s or our control. Because VREX Holdco has limited operating history, it may be more difficult for them to prepare for and respond to these types of risks than for a company with an established business and operating cash flow.

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VREX Holdco has operations outside the United States, which exposes us to complex foreign and U.S. regulations inherent in doing business in Vietnam. We are subject to regulations imposed by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”), and other anti-corruption laws that generally prohibit U.S. companies and their intermediaries from offering, promising, authorizing or making improper payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Violations of the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal and civil sanctions as well as other penalties. The SEC and U.S. Department of Justice in recent years have increased their enforcement activities with respect to the FCPA.

Internal control policies and procedures and the compliance program that VREX Holdco has implemented to deter prohibited practices may not be effective in prohibiting its employees, contractors or agents from violating or circumventing our policies and the law. If VREX Holdco’s or our employees or agents fail to comply with applicable laws or company policies governing VREX Holdco’s international operations, we and our subsidiaries may face investigations, prosecutions and other legal and regulatory proceedings and actions which could result in civil penalties, administrative remedies and criminal sanctions. Any determination that we have violated the FCPA could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

Compliance with international and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to VREX Holdco’s international operations increases the cost of doing business in foreign jurisdictions. VREX Holdco’s employees will also be subject to various reporting and anti-money laundering regulations. Any violation of anti-money laundering laws or regulations by VREX Holdco’s employees could have a negative effect on us.

In addition, VREX Holdco has limited operating history with VREX. We entered into the Tolling Agreement with VREX Holdco, whereby we deliver NdPr oxide to VREX Holdco, which VREX Holdco then causes VREX to process into NdPr metal for delivery to our customers globally. We will be providing VREX with a large amount of our inventory of NdPr oxide to process into NdPr metal. We will be subject to risks associated with VREX Holdco and VREX appropriately storing and handling a significant volume and value of our inventory. In the event that VREX Holdco or VREX is unable to store or handle the NdPr oxide or process the NdPr oxide into NdPr metal based on the specifications provided by us, this may have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

We base our REO reserve estimates on engineering, economic and geological data assembled and analyzed by outside firms, which are reviewed by our engineers and geologists. Ore reserve estimates, however, are necessarily imprecise and depend to some extent on professional interpretation, including statistical inferences drawn from available drilling data, which may prove unreliable. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities and qualities of REO reserves and costs to mine recoverable reserves, including many factors beyond our control. Estimates of economically recoverable REO reserves necessarily depend upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, all of which may vary considerably from actual results, such as:

•geological, mining and processing conditions and/or effects from prior mining that may not be fully identified by available data or that may differ from experience;

•changes to the strategic approach to mining and processing the deposit depending upon market demand, corporate strategy and other prevailing economic conditions;

•assumptions concerning future prices of rare earth products, foreign exchange rates, process recovery rates, transportation costs, operating costs, capital costs and reclamation costs; and

•assumptions concerning future effects of regulation, including the issuance of required permits and taxes by governmental agencies and foreign government policies relating to the import or export of rare earth products.

Fluctuations in factors out of our control such as changes in future product pricing, foreign government policies on the import or export of rare earths and foreign exchange rates can have a significant impact on the estimates of reserves and can result in significant changes in the quantum of our reserves period-to-period.

Period-to-period conversion of probable REO reserves to proven ore reserves may result in increases or decreases to the total reported amount of ore reserves. Conversion rates are affected by a number of factors, including geological variability, applicable mining methods and changes in safe mining practices, economic considerations and new regulatory requirements.

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Our profitability could be adversely affected if we fail to maintain satisfactory labor relations; work stoppages or similar difficulties could significantly disrupt our operations, reduce our revenues and materially adversely affect our results of operations.

Although none of our employees are currently subject to any collective bargaining arrangements, our employees could, in the future, choose to be represented as a collective unit, which may result in labor disputes, work stoppages or other disruptions in our production efforts that could adversely affect us.

A shortage of skilled technicians and engineers may further increase operating costs, which may materially adversely affect our results of operations.

In the event that we are unable to hire, train and retain the necessary number of skilled technicians, engineers and other personnel there could be an adverse impact on our labor costs and our ability to reach anticipated production levels in a timely manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We depend on key personnel for the success of our business.

We depend on the services of our senior management team and other key personnel. The loss of the services of any member of senior management or a key employee could have an adverse effect on our business. We may not be able to locate, attract or employ on acceptable terms qualified replacements for senior management or other key employees if their services are no longer available.

Because of the dangers involved in the mining of minerals and the manufacture of mineral products, there is a risk that we may incur liability or damages as we conduct our business.

The mining of minerals and the manufacture of mineral products involve numerous hazards that could cause bodily harm or environmental damage and subject us to liability. These hazards include: (i) unusual and unexpected rock formations affecting ore or wall rock characteristics; (ii) ground or slope failures of the open-pit mine, overburden stockpiles, and/or tailings disposal areas; (iii) environmental hazards; (iv) industrial accidents and/or processing upsets; (v) periodic interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions or other acts of God; and (vi) mechanical equipment failure and facility performance problems.

Additionally, we cannot be certain that all claims we may make under our insurance policies will be deemed to be within the scope of, or fully covered by, our policies. We might also become subject to liability for environmental issues, damage or other hazards that may be uninsurable or for which we may elect not to insure because of premium costs or commercial impracticality. These policies contain limits of coverage and exclusions that are typical of such policies generally. The payment of such premiums, or the assumption of such liabilities, may have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

We may be impacted by natural disasters, wars, health epidemics or pandemics or other events outside of our control. We may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of our control, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

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We are dependent upon information technology systems, which are subject to cyber threats, disruption, damage and failure.

We depend upon information technology systems in the conduct of our operations. Our information technology systems are subject to disruption, damage or failure from a variety of sources, including, without limitation, computer viruses, security breaches, cyber-attacks, natural disasters and defects in design. Cybersecurity incidents, in particular, are evolving and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to data and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information or the corruption of data. Various measures have been implemented to manage our risks related to information technology systems and network disruptions. However, given the unpredictability of the timing, nature and scope of information technology disruptions, we could potentially be subject to downtimes, operational delays, the compromising of confidential or otherwise protected information, destruction or corruption of data, security breaches, other manipulation or improper use of our systems and networks or financial losses from remedial actions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Risks Related to Environmental Regulation

Our operations are subject to extensive and costly environmental requirements; current and future laws, regulations and permits impose significant costs, liabilities or obligations or could limit or prevent our ability to continue our current operations or to undertake new operations.

Failure to comply with these laws, regulations and permits, including as they evolve, may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the issuance of injunctions to limit or cease operations, fines, or the suspension or revocation of permits and other sanctions. Pursuant to such requirements, we may also be subject to third-party claims, including for damages to property or injury to persons arising from our operations.

Our operations use hazardous materials and generate hazardous waste and radioactive byproducts. While we maintain procedures for and conduct training on the handling and disposing of chemicals or other substances by our personnel, risks, including bodily injury and property damage, persist. Moreover, mining and processing of rare earths has occurred at Mountain Pass since 1952, and contamination is known to exist around the facility. Mountain Pass is subject to an order issued by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, primarily related to contamination emanating from certain on-site impoundments active during prior periods of operation, pursuant to which we and previous owners have conducted various investigatory and remedial actions. These remedial activities include groundwater monitoring, extraction and treatment. We are still in the process of delineating the extent of groundwater contamination at and around the facility and cannot assure you that we will not incur material costs relating to the remediation of such contamination. Pursuant to a settlement agreement, that contamination has been remediated by Chevron Mining Inc. In 2023, the remaining portion of the pipeline was removed from Mountain Pass and safely disposed. In addition to claims arising out of our current or former properties, such claims may arise in connection with contaminated third-party sites at which we have disposed of waste. Under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response,

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Compensation and Liability Act, and analogous state statutes, our liability for claims for contamination at our current or former properties, and at third-party sites at which we disposed of waste, may be joint and several, so that we may be held responsible for more than our share of any contamination, or even for the entire share.

In connection with our current and future operations and growth plans, we may need to amend or obtain additional permits that impose strict requirements relating to various environmental and health and safety matters. Furthermore, the permitting processes and development of supporting materials, including any environmental impact statements, may be costly and time-consuming. These permit processes and requirements, and the interpretation and enforcement thereof, change frequently, and any such future changes could materially adversely affect our mining operations and results of operations.

Our operations emit greenhouse gases, and with the restart of our CHP plant in 2022, our emissions exceeded inclusion thresholds of the California cap-and-trade program, resulting in the Company being re-entered into the program. As such, allowances will be directly allocated to us annually, with fluctuations based on energy usage and regulatory provisions. We expect that our emissions will continue to increase as our separations production ramps, which would require us to purchase additional allowances, with the price of allowances subject to market volatility. Given the political significance, regulatory or compliance obligations and uncertainty around the impact of climate change and how it should be addressed, we cannot predict how legislation and regulation will affect our financial condition, operating performance and ability to compete. The potential physical impacts of climate change on our operations are highly uncertain and would be particular to the geographic circumstances in areas in which we operate. These impacts may adversely impact the cost, production and financial performance of our operations.

Under the California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, we are generally obligated to restore property after it has been mined in accordance with regulatory standards and our approved mining plan. Additionally, we are required under various federal, state and local laws to maintain financial assurances, such as surety bonds, to secure such obligations. The failure to acquire, maintain or renew such assurances, as required by federal, state and local laws, could subject us to fines and penalties as well as the revocation of our mining permits. Such failure could result from a variety of factors, including:

•the lack of availability, higher expense or unreasonable terms of such financial assurances;

•the ability of current and future financial assurance counterparties to increase required collateral; and

•the exercise by third-party financial assurance counterparties of any rights to refuse to renew the financial assurance instruments.

In addition, the cost to obtain surety bonds has increased while the market terms of the surety bonds generally have become less favorable. It is possible that surety bond issuers may refuse to provide or renew bonds or may demand additional collateral upon the issuance or renewal of the bonds. Our inability to acquire or failure to

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maintain or renew such bonds or other financial assurances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Federal, state and local laws and regulations establish reclamation and closure standards applicable to our surface mining and other operations as well. Estimates of our total reclamation and mine closing liabilities are based upon our reclamation plan, third-party expert reports, current applicable laws and regulations, certain permit terms, our engineering expertise related to these requirements and review by regulatory agencies. Any change in the underlying assumptions, permissions, or other variation between the estimated liabilities and actual costs could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our stock price has experienced, and may in the future experience, volatility, and you could lose all or part of your investment as a result.

Moreover, as a result of the decrease in the market price of NdPr oxide in 2023, our Realized Price per REO MT decreased from $11,974 for the year ended December 31, 2022, to $6,854 for the year ended December 31, 2023. This negatively impacted our results of operations, which in turn has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the trading price of the Company’s common stock. You may not be able to resell your shares at an attractive price due to a number of factors such as those listed in “Risks Relating to our Business and Industry” above and the following: (a) fluctuations in demand for, and prices of, REE and magnet products; (b) results of operations that vary from the expectations of securities analysts and investors; (c) changes in expectations as to the Company’s future financial performance, including financial estimates and investment recommendations by securities analysts and investors; (d) declines in the market prices of stocks generally and market prices of mining-related companies in particular; (e) strategic actions by the Company or its competitors; (f) announcements by the Company or its competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, joint ventures, other strategic relationships or capital commitments; (g) any significant change in the Company’s management; (h) changes in general economic or market conditions or trends in the Company’s industry or markets; (i) changes in business or regulatory conditions, including new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to the Company’s business; (j) future sales of the Company’s common stock or other securities; (k) investor perceptions of the investment opportunity associated with the Company’s common stock relative to other investment alternatives; (l) the public’s response to press releases or other public announcements by the Company or third parties, including the Company’s filings with the SEC; (m) litigation involving the Company, the Company’s industry, or both, or investigations by regulators into the Company’s operations or those of our competitors; (n) guidance, if any, that the Company provides to the public, any changes in this guidance or the Company’s failure to meet this guidance; (o) the development and sustainability of an active trading market for the Company’s stock; (p) actions by institutional or activist stockholders; (q) declines in the market price of our stock as a result of negative reports on the Company by research firms that engage in short selling; (r) changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles; and (s) other events or factors, including those resulting from natural disasters, war, acts of terrorism, health pandemics or responses to these events.

Volatility in our stock price could adversely affect our business and financing opportunities. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our common stock is low.

In the past, following periods of market volatility, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If the Company was involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from the Company’s business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.

We intend to retain future earnings, if any, for future operations, expansion and debt repayment and there are no current plans to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. The declaration, amount and payment of any future dividends on shares of our common stock will be at the sole discretion of our Board. Our Board may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and results of operations, our available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax, and regulatory restrictions, implications on the payment of dividends to our stockholders or by our subsidiaries to us and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any future indebtedness we incur.

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Future sales, or the perception of future sales, by us or our stockholders in the public market could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.

In the future, we may also issue our securities in connection with investments or acquisitions. Any issuance of additional securities in connection with investments or acquisitions may result in additional dilution to our stockholders.

Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents could delay or prevent a change of control.

Certain provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, defer or prevent a merger, acquisition, tender offer, takeover attempt or other change of control transaction that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders.

These provisions provide for, among other things: (i) no cumulative voting with respect to the election of our Board; (ii) the division of the our Board into three classes, with only one class of directors being elected in each year; (iii) the ability of our Board to issue one or more series of preferred stock; (iv) advance notice for nominations of directors by stockholders and for stockholders to include matters to be considered at our annual meetings; (v) certain limitations on convening special stockholder meetings; (vi) limiting the ability of stockholders to act by written consent; (vii) the ability of our Board to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors or the resignation, death, or removal of a director in certain circumstances; (viii) providing that our Board is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws; (ix) the removal of directors only for cause; and (x) that certain provisions may be amended only by the affirmative vote of at least 66.7% of the shares of common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of our directors.

These anti-takeover provisions could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third party’s offer may be considered beneficial by many of our stockholders. As a result, our stockholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions you desire.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.

The Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation also provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the U.S. federal securities laws, including the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Additionally, investors cannot waive our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such an exclusive forum provision with respect to claims under the Securities Act. If a court were to find these provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

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Increased scrutiny regarding our sustainability and ESG practices could impact our reputation and our stock price.

In June 2023, we released our ESG report for fiscal year 2022, which highlights our key achievements, metrics and ESG strategy. Our sustainability report also includes our policies and practices on a variety of ESG matters, including water management and preservation; recycling; diversity, inclusion and meritocracy; employee health and safety; and human capital management. In addition, our business faces increasing scrutiny related to ESG issues, including sustainable development, renewable resources, environmental stewardship, supply chain management, climate change, diversity, inclusion and meritocracy, workplace conduct, human rights, philanthropy and support for local communities. Implementation of our environmental and sustainability initiatives will require financial expenditures and employee resources.

The publication of our ESG report may result in increased investor, media, employee, and other stakeholder attention to our ESG initiatives, and such stakeholders may not be satisfied with our ESG practices or initiatives. Organizations that inform investors on ESG matters have developed rating systems for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG. Unfavorable ratings may lead to negative investor sentiment, which could negatively impact our stock price. Any failure, or perceived failure, to respond to ESG concerns could harm our business and reputation. In addition, certain influential institutional investors are also increasing their focus on ESG practices and are placing importance on the implications and social cost of their investments. If our ESG practices do not meet the standards set by these investors, they may choose not to invest in our common stock, or if our peer companies outperform us in their ESG initiatives, potential or current investors may elect to invest with our competitors instead. If we do not comply with investor or stockholder expectations and standards in connection with our ESG initiatives, or are perceived to have not responded appropriately to address ESG issues within our company, our brand and reputation, as well as our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be negatively impacted, and our share price could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Relating to our Convertible Notes

The conditional conversion feature of our Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

We completed an offering of Convertible Notes in March 2021. In the event the conditional conversion feature of our Convertible Notes is triggered, holders of the Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert them at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their Convertible Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their Convertible Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Convertible Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.

Conversion of our Convertible Notes may dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders or may otherwise depress the price of our common stock.

The conversion of some or all of our Convertible Notes may dilute the ownership interests of our stockholders. Upon conversion of the notes, we have the option to pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock. If we elect to settle our conversion obligation in shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, any sales in the public market of our common stock issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. In addition, the existence of the Convertible Notes may encourage short selling by market participants that engage in hedging or arbitrage activity, and anticipated conversion of the notes into shares of our common stock could depress the price of our common stock.

Certain provisions in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes may delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial takeover attempt of us.

Certain provisions in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes may make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. For example, the indenture governing the Convertible Notes requires us to repurchase the notes for cash upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes) of us and, in certain circumstances, to increase the conversion rate for a holder that converts their Convertible Notes in connection with a make-whole fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes). A takeover of us may trigger the requirement that we repurchase the Convertible Notes and/or increase the conversion rate, which could make it more costly for a potential acquirer to engage in such takeover. Such additional costs may have the effect of delaying or preventing a takeover of us that would otherwise be beneficial to investors.

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Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our debt.

Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, or to refinance our indebtedness, including our Convertible Notes, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. In addition, holders of the Convertible Notes will have the right to require us to repurchase their notes for cash upon the occurrence of certain fundamental changes. Upon conversion of the Convertible Notes, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the notes being converted. Our business may not continue to generate cash flow from operations in the future sufficient to service our debt and make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY

The Company’s information security program is managed by a dedicated Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”), who has over 25 years of professional experience within information technology roles, including 15 years of security consulting experience. The CTO leads the information technology department, which is responsible for enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, policy, standards, architecture, and processes. The Company’s Cybersecurity Incident Response Committee (the “CIRC”), which is comprised of the Company’s CTO, Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel, Senior Vice President of Financial Reporting and Technical Accounting, and Senior Director of Internal Audit, meets periodically and more often, as needed, in the event cybersecurity incidents are identified.

As part of the Company’s overall risk assessment process, the enterprise risk management framework considers cybersecurity risk alongside other company risks. The Company’s internal audit department collaborates with the Company’s information technology department to gather insights for assessing, identifying and managing cybersecurity threat risks, their severity, and potential mitigations. The Company actively engages with key vendors, industry participants, and intelligence and law enforcement communities as part of its continuing efforts to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of its information security policies and procedures.

In addition, the Company’s vendor management program addresses cybersecurity risks associated with its use of third-party service providers including suppliers, software and cloud-based service providers. The Company proactively evaluates the cybersecurity risk of a third party by utilizing a repository of risk assessments, external monitoring sources, threat intelligence during contracting, and vendor selection processes. Security issues are documented and tracked, and periodic monitoring of third parties is conducted in an effort to mitigate risk.

The Company’s CTO provides periodic reports to the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, as well as the CIRC, as appropriate. These periodic reports include updates on the Company’s cyber risks and threats, the status of projects to strengthen its information security systems, assessments of the information security program, and the emerging threat landscape. The information security program is regularly evaluated by the CTO with the results of those reviews reported to the CIRC, the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors, as appropriate.

Cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected nor are they reasonably likely to affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition.

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